Indonesian female army recruits no longer need to face virginity test: Report

Jakarta: The two-finger virginity test is no longer a norm in Indonesia for recruiting females in the army as the force has decided to abandon the practice following protests from many quarters, including human rights activists who called it abusive and an insult to womanhood.

To recent date, the doctors would insert two fingers inside the vagina to determine whether the hymen is intact during the examination and if it is found broken the female candidate will be deemed as not fit for the job.

A report published in The Guardian quoting the Indonesian army chief of staff, Gen Andika Perkasa as saying that there will be no virginity test for female recruits and now on, the criteria for army recruitment will be the same for both genders.

The vaginal test was also in some cases carried out on the female fiancees of military officers.

While virginity is the norm of recruitment, what Human Rights Watch feels about the army chief's statement is that the force will not pursue the "abusive, unscientific and discriminatory two-finger virginity test" that has been followed for decades in female recruits.

The Human Rights Watch who called the army's decision a welcome move hoped that the navy and air force would follow it in their recruitment.

The end of the testing was welcomed by Indonesian women as well.