Indonesia requires virginity checks on female police

Indonesian female police / AFP Photo

Indonesian police are facing an international outcry over a recruitment requirement that female job applicants must undergo a virginity test.

Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organization, reported on Tuesday that the women had to undergo a so-called “two-finger” test to check if their hymens were intact.

The organization described the process as “degrading” and “discriminatory,” while pointing out that such tests were a cultural norm in a patriarchal country.

As of Tuesday, Indonesia’s national police recruitment post online read, “Women who want to be policemen must also undergo virginity tests. So all women who want to become policewomen should keep their virginity.”

Police spokesman Ronny Sompie said the check-ups were “done in a professional manner” and aimed to ensure that applicants did not have a sexually transmitted disease.