Stop virginity testing, demands rights group

JAKARTA: Indonesia must stop subjecting female police recruits to physical tests in an effort to determine whether they are virgins, a leading human rights group said yesterday, describing the practice as degrading and discriminatory.

Human Rights Watch said in a report that such tests were a long-standing practice in Indonesia, where patriarchal attitudes and practices in the security forces were common.

The report was based on interviews with female officers and police applicants in six Indonesian cities who had undergone the so-called two-finger test to determine whether their hymens were intact.

The requirement is also posted on the jobs website. Yesterday it read: “In addition to the medical and physical tests, women who want to be policewomen must also undergo virginity tests. So all women who want to become policewomen should keep their virginity.” – Sapa-AP