Human Rights Watch on Thursday in Jakarta called on Indonesia government to immediately end the practice of subjecting female armed forces recruits and fiancées of military officers to “invasive” virginity tests.
Nisha Varia, Advocacy Director, Women’s Rights Group, said its study found that all branches of the Indonesian military, air force, army and navy have used the test for decades.
She said the military also extends the requirement to women wishing to marry military officers.
Varia said Indonesian armed forces should recognise that harmful and humiliating ‘virginity tests’ on women recruits does nothing to strengthen national security.
She said investigation by the group revealed that Indonesia’s coordinating minister for politics, law and security, Tedjo Edhi, has acknowledged that the military required the tests.
Varia Watch said the Indonesian military said the virginity test on female recruits had been conducted for decades and it had no plans to end the practice.
She said all the 11 female military recruits it interviewed described the test as painful, embarrassing and traumatic.
Varia said the women said the test was required of all other women applying to enter the military or planning to marry military officers.
The director said those interviewed disclosed that the only women excluded were those with “powerful connections” or those who paid bribes.
Varia said that a recent report released showed that police in Indonesia required “virginity testing” for female recruits.
Fuad Basya, Armed Forces Spokesman, said the military has not been able to fulfil the wish of the human rights group because passing the virginity test was a requirement to be in the military.
He said an applicant who lost her virginity because of sexual intercourse was unfit mentally to be an armed forces member. (dpa/NAN).