Indonesia stops ‘virginity tests’ for military aspirants | It was “a form of gender-based violence,” Human Rights Watch said.

The head of Indonesian Army, Andika Perkasa, announced the end of “virginity tests” to which the women who wanted to join the force, an “invasive” practice that involved “inserting two fingers into the vagina to, supposedly, assess (through the hymen) whether the woman has ever had sex,” he explained. Andreas Hasorno, Human Rights Watch investigator.

As detailed by the human rights organization, for decades thousands of Indonesian military candidates had to face this test which meant, for those who failed, the end of a possible military career. The study also reached, on certain occasions, to officers’ fiancées as a mandatory requirement before marriage.

“‘Virginity tests’ are a form of gender-based violence, a widely discredited practice”said Hasorno, who noted that although all recruits undergo a physical health exam, only female candidates have to go through this type of screening, which human rights organizations have denounced for years as being “abusive and discriminatory”.

In 2014, the World Health Organization determined that this test “has no scientific validity”, since beyond how debatable it can be to demand conditions from a person in their sexuality, reproductive health experts say the condition of the hymen has nothing to do with virginity (a word without weight within the scientific community).

Tras varios años de debate y luego de que muchas mujeres hablaran sobre esta “dolorosa” práctica con la organización no gubernamental dedicada a la defensa de los derechos humanos, finally el jefe del Ejército de Indonesia, Andika Perkasa, anuncio el fin de este exam.

“It won’t be necessary anymore. The objective of the selection process is to check the “state of health of the candidate, said after pointing out that this test is “Not relevant” for a recruitment procedure. Now, he said, applicants should only be assessed on their physical ability to participate in training.

“The army command is doing the right thing. It is now the responsibility of the battalion and the territorial commanders to follow orders and recognize the unscientific and abusive nature of this practice.“Hasorno told BBC Mundo. Increased pressure must also focus on key navy and air force commanders to follow the army’s lead and end this practice,” a- he added.

The Democratic Party, meanwhile, agreed that the test for future soldiers and female soldiers should only relate to their duties and duties and agreed to the removal of this test, as it will lead to “improvements in the recruitment system. “.