TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to remove virginity testing for Indonesian female soldier candidates and male soldiers’ fiancées. The Human Rights activist also called on the International Committee on Military Medicine (ICMM) summit that will be held from May 17-22, 2015 in Bali to urge the removal of the discriminatory tests.
“The Indonesian Military (TNI) must realize that the hurtful and shameful virginity tests for female soldier candidates have nothing to do with the national security,” Nisha Varia, the advocacy director for women’s rights division, said in a press release received by Tempo on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
Nisha asked Jokowi to order the TNI to abolish virginity testing from its procedures. She also called on military hospitals to reject conducting the tests.
According to Nisha, virginity tests are a form of gender-based violence that has been widely rejected. In November 2014, Nisha said, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that the degrading “virginity tests” or the “two-finger tests” have no scientific validity.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy earlier confirmed on November 18, 2015, that the TNI still conducted virginity testing for female soldier candidates when similar tests for female police candidates sparked controversies.
TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Fuad Basya also confirmed that virginity tests for female soldiers had been conducted before the police implemented similar tests. Based on HRW research, the Indonesian Army, Navy and Air Force have conducted virginity tests for female soldier candidates for decades. The tests are also required for male soldiers’ future wives.
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