Fight against ‘Sugar Daddies’ begins
More than 800 billboards across KZN have been erected.
DON’T be lured into having sex with older men.
That is the essence of the KZN Department of Health’s ‘Sugar Daddy’ campaign, in an attempt to address the massive increase of HIV/AIDS infections and teenage pregnancies.
The department aims to ‘create taboo’ against cross-generational sex and discourage young women from trading sex for lifestyle and financial rewards.
In a joint venture, community organisations and uThungulu District Municipality united at the Richards Bay Civic Centre Auditorium on Friday, to formulate a ‘language of opposition’ to discourage such behaviour among young women
Men’s forums, community leaders, HIV/AIDS groups, traditional leaders and other structures participated in a discussion to detect a way forward that would end the practice.
‘The idea behind the campaign is to challenge the acceptance of cross-generational relationships as the norm, and to introduce an element of community leadership and stigma of older men who seek sex with young girls.
‘This is a battle that we must fight together, to create a better future for our children’ said traditional leader Mfanafuthi Mthethwa.
During the discussion, it was discovered that the problem of Sugar Daddies was more common in rural, informal settlements and other underprivileged areas where there are high levels of unemployment and illiteracy.
According to the KZN Health Department, they have already put up more than 800 billboards across the province, warning young women of the dangers of cross-generational sex.
