Proposed virginity tests in Indonesia

From The Guardian:

A plan to make female high school students undergo mandatory virginity tests has been met with outrage from activists, who argue that it discriminates against women and violates their human rights.

Education chief Muhammad Rasyid, of Prabumulih district in south Sumatra put forward the idea, describing it as "an accurate way to protect children from prostitution and free sex". He said he would use the city budget to begin tests early next year if MPs approved the proposal.

"This is for their own good," Rasyid said. "Every woman has the right to virginity … we expect students not to commit negative acts."

The test would require female senior school students aged 16 to 19 to have their hymen examined every year until graduation. Boys, however, would undergo no investigation into whether they had had sex.

It always fascinates me how the terms of the debate over various sexual and reproductive issues are so different from country to country.

The opponents of the virginity tests (in Indonesia) seem to rely on one basic argument against the law, which is that some young women might have broken hymens due to sexual assault or for other non-consensual reasons. The test for 'sexual purity,' in other words, might render a false positive.

Note what is not being questioned:

1. Female virginity is really important and losing it before marriage is shameful.
2. The state has a legitimate interest in policing female virginity.
3. Forcibly subjecting a young woman to a hymen check is not per se illegitimate. (UPDATE: The "deputy head of the national commission on violence against women" condemned the proposal on human rights grounds.)

Links:

Article in The Guardian (August 21, 2013): Female students in Indonesia may be forced to undergo 'virginity tests' 

Article in Al Jazeera (August 22, 2013) that reports on international reaction to the virginity test proposal: Netizens denounce Indonesia 'virginity tests' plan