Introduction

Due to issues of gendered poverty in rural communities that affect mostly young women, many young women opt to engage in sexual relationships with only men who have a source of monthly income for economic and survival motives. Unconsciously, young women used to say, “Ngizomenzani umfana ongasebenzi”, which translates as, “How is dating an unemployed boyfriend going to help me?”.  In this regard, poverty among young girls is what makes them engage in sexual relationships for money. 

Defining Poverty and How It Leads Young Girls to HIV/AIDS

Poverty, in this case, refers to the inability of young women to afford to take care of themselves as a direct result of being unemployed, uneducated and as a result of a poor family background. Due to being born into a poor family and the death of biological parents at a very young age, young girls have become subjected to poverty. Unlike men who can do some hard labour work that requires manpower, a handful of women are likely to work in construction companies. This then causes ‘gendered poverty’, which consequently lures many unemployed young women to prefer the option of dating only the guys who have a source of income instead of dating an unemployed guy. 

The Motives for Dating Wealthy Men

Their motive is to benefit financially from dating a boyfriend who can provide some financial support so they can have some means to look after themselves and perhaps get some money to buy themselves cosmetics. One of the many contributory factors is the inability of their families to offer them financial support or monthly allowance to look after themselves. The other factor is peer pressure; seeing their peers dating boyfriends who spoil and do everything for them lures others to engage in transactional relationships. Thus, dating an unemployed boyfriend therefore becomes a waste of time for these young women. What is worrying is that some of these young women often lack the power to negotiate safer sex with their “blessers”. As a result, these young women often find themselves in a position where they are always submissive to their male partners, who, in most cases, are “womanizers” (men who are involved in multiple sexual relationships at once). 

Prevention Measures

Constrained by the poverty beyond their control, these young women also often find themselves in a relationship where their voice is not heard. This then leads to a situation whereby these young women worry less about getting infected with HIV/AIDS because of the benefits the relationship offers. In other words, the prevention of being pregnant through the use of contraceptives is what is prioritized, while the risk of being infected with HIV and AIDS is trivialized. It is easy for them to prevent pregnancy through the use of contraceptives because it is something they can easily and privately do without the knowledge of their male partners. Unfortunately, they don’t have power over negotiating the use of condoms with the men they financially depend on. 

Conclusion

Local community leaders should try by all means to create some job opportunities equally along gender lines so that young women also have a source of income and become economically independent. If young women engage in sexual relationships with whoever they choose to engage in such a relationship with, it must be a voluntary decision, not a decision caused by a situation beyond their control, such as poverty. Such intervention plays a very significant role because it can reduce the number of young women who engage in transactional relationships and consequently reduce the alarming level of HIV/AIDS among young women who get exposed to such illnesses as a direct result of poverty.