Such traditional norms-in the context of high levels of rape-place enormous pressure on young women and cause them to lie about virginity because they fear losing their fiancés.
However, some female participants clearly dissociate from societal views or norms about virginity, and remark that virginity itself is not the key to a successful household nor a guarantee for remaining faithful after marriage. They believe that the girl's virginity loss brings shame to her family. In fact, most male and female participants perceived girls who were virgins as trustworthy individuals. Findings indicate that men are disappointed when they marry non- virgin girls. Eight focus group discussions and 40 individual interviews were conducted among participants from two urban and two rural high schools in South Kivu province. The study employed a qualitative approach to collect data from 56 boys and girls aged 16-20Â years old.
This article aims to explore Congolese male and female high school students' cultural attitudes concerning virginity. Virginity Requirement Versus Sexually-Active Young People: What Girls and Boys Think About Virginity in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
