Indonesia Urged To Stop 'Virginity Tests' For Female Police Recruits

A human rights group is calling on Indonesia to scrap "virginity tests" given to female police recruits.

"The Indonesian National Police's use of 'virginity tests' is a discriminatory practice that harms and humiliates women," Nisha Varia, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch,said in a statement. "Police authorities in Jakarta need to immediately and unequivocally abolish the test, and then make certain that all police recruiting stations nationwide stop administering it."

Human Rights Watch interviewed female police officers and police applicants in six cities across Indonesia who were subjected to the "two-finger test" to determine if they were virgins. Two of the women were given the tests this year. All of them described it as painful and traumatic.

"Failing" the test does not necessarily mean expulsion from the police force, the group said, but added: "Policewomen have raised the issue with senior police officials, who have at times claimed the practice has been discontinued. But the test is listed as a requirement for women applicants on the official police recruitment website, and Human Rights Watch interviews suggest it is still being widely applied."

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