Economic inequality the root cause of 'blesser' culture
The South African Research Chair in Gender and Childhood Sexuality at the University of KwaZulu-Natal says the country needs to stop stigmatising girls.
Professor Deevia Bhana says attention should instead be shifted to young men and sugar daddies.
Bhana was part of a panel discussing 'blessers' and teenage pregnancies in Durban today.
She says many girls live in abject poverty, making it easier for them to be lured. Bhana feels a multi-pronged approach is needed.
"So for as long as we have these kind of inequalities, blessers will thrive because young women's aspirations towards those middle class lifestyles are easily accessible through blessers so we need to address unemployment," she said.
Bhana says 99 000 teenagers fell pregnant in 2013.
(Photo: Chanelle Lutchman)