Group calls for Indonesian forces to stop virginity tests

Indonesia’s military and police continue to perform abusive virginity tests on female recruits three years after the World Health Organisation declared they had no scientific validity, an international human rights group said on Wednesday.

Human Rights Watch said that senior Indonesian police and military officers have told it that security forces still impose the “cruel and discriminatory tests”, which are carried out under the guise of psychological examinations for mental health and morality reasons.

“The Indonesian government’s continuing tolerance for abusive ‘virginity tests’ by the security forces reflects an appalling lack of political will to protect the rights of Indonesian women,” said Nisha Varia, women’s rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

The group called for President Joko Widodo to order the national police chief and military commander to ban the practice.