KZN youngsters discuss empowering women during national youth dialogue
Two youngsters from KZN have shared their thoughts on empowering young women as the country marks AIDS Awareness Month.
Durban university student, Ayanda Shezi, and Pietermaritzburg pupil, Ziyanda Hadebe are ambassadors of a youth initiative - the DREAMS programme - spearheaded by US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ( PEPFAR).
The programme culminated during World AIDS Day commemorations in Gauteng, which was also attended by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In its second year running in South Africa, the initiative addresses the social aspects that contribute to the growing infections of HIV among young women in the country.
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18-year-old Shezi says teenage pregnancy is an area that needs to be tackled head-on.
"In my community, there's a large number of girls who fall pregnant don't finish their matric - my peers especially - because they have to stay at home and take care of their children. Those are the kind of issues I feel strongly about," she said.
Meanwhile Hadebe, whose also 18, feels education is key.
"I'm passionate about empowerment of females. We can always empower women on a general basis but when you educate them the right way by telling them the risks, the number of Aids-infected people, then they start to think for themselves. Once you bring up facts, they realise that it's a serious matter," she said.
Heidi Ramsay with the US Embassy in SA says the programme encourages youngsters to be leaders within their communities.
"DREAMS uses peer leaders to influence young women to take agency of their own futures and to avoid situations that could cause greater risks of HIV. We've asked this cohort to speak up and make sure that they're giving other women a voice," she said.