Miss Virgin Pageant Launched

Miss Virgins HIV/AIDS Ambassador 2002 was launched at a press conference at the Press Centre in Accra last week.

Mr. Kofi Fonu, President of Dzreke Virgin Ambassador Foundation promoters of the concept, said his organisation will utilise the competition to showcase the essence and beauty in virginity. He said virginity is not "outmoded" as many young people are made to believe, but is fashionable and possible in today's world.

He said "purity and virginity gave our grandmothers and mothers the licence to contract marriages, which became the root for the kind of unity our families were built on."

Mr. Fonu said abstinence to the youth is the best option in the fight against HIV/AIDS. "Many are those programmes and activities geared towards the arrest of the killer HIV/AIDS but nothing or little is being done to inculcate in the youth the virtues of abstinence and virginity."

Mr. Fonu said since the use of condoms seems to have failed because they are frowned upon by some religions, the idea of virginity should be given thought and ways found to bring out living idols of virginity for the youth emulate. This is what gave birth to the idea of the Miss Virgin Pageant.

He said two virgin winners between the ages of 12 and 25 from all the ten regions will participate in a national selection scheduled to take place on December 7. "The selected queens are expected to demystify virginity and reintroduce the culture of abstinence to Ghanaians." They will "spearhead the campaign against HIV/AIDS infection and serve as role models who people will learn from, interact and share their experience".

Mr. Fonu called for policy direction from the government on the HIV/AIDS campaign in the media, since some of the adverts rather compound the situation and encourage the youth to experiment with sex.

The Miss Virgin Pageant will be preceded by a weeklong workshop under the theme "The Youth in the Fight against HIV/AIDS".