Indonesian Army stops controversial 'two-finger test' to determine 'virginity' of female cadets

Human rights groups welcomed the announcement that the army had ceased the practice. "There was never any need for the tests," said Andy Yentriyani, head of the National Commission on Violence Against Women.

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Army has ended a controversial practice of virginity tests on women who apply to become cadets, according to its chief of staff, a move welcomed by activists who have long campaigned against it. "Two-finger tests", where doctors check the hymen of female recruits to try to determine their virginity, was systematic, abusive and cruel, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), which conducted investigations into the practice and in 2017 renewed calls for it to end. The military previously said the tests were important in determining recruits` morality. The World Health Organization has said they have "no scientific validity" and the appearance of a hymen was not a reliable indicator of intercourse.