Oftentimes, virginity is often considered as a taboo subject, moreover it’s considered a disgrace. Specifically towards women. Women who have already lost her purity are seen in a less valuable light within society, especially in conservative countries, mostly in the Eastern part of the world. Virginity is regarded as a symbol of morality in many societies, including Indonesia, as opposed to just a physical condition. The values of virginities are constructed by social construct and which oftentimes stem from the values and beliefs of patriarchal norms. Discussion of this topic has been a debated topic for many decades. However, the main belief has always been centered around the self-worth and respect of a woman within her own community— where these morals play a critical part in a woman’s image, more specifically before marriage (Pratiwi, 2019).
Virginity as a Social Construct
According to Moussaoui (2022) in Hymen and virginity: What Every Paediatrician Should Know, virginity has no scientific or medical definition. Moreover, it is actually a social construct that made up of religious and cultural norms, with no correlations to sexual activities. However, again and again, this social construct is heavily clinged on what a certain society believes of biological matters. The history regarding this belief can be traced back to the early 1800s when the position of men and women within society changed with the rise of the capitalist era. During this time, men were recognized as the main actors within the workforce, and sadly, women were only recognized for reproducing purposes (Susanti, 2023). It can also be said that this highly affected society’s view on the concept of virginity. Due to it being held at such high regard in which if a woman were to lose it premarital one would be considered unholy and their whole identity gone with it, the psychological impact was very evident since this era (Lipman and Moore, 2016).
Virginity and The Act of Slutshaming in Society
If we were to refer back to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term “slut” means a woman with multiple sexual partners. However in recent times, the word is associated with simpler circumstances such as a woman who has merely lost her virginity. As a result, the act of slut-shaming is not a rare occurrence. As the name suggests, slutshaming is the act of patronizing a person’s behavior that they deem beyond the bounds of decency or morality, such as how a woman acts, dresses, or engages in sexual activity. While the term slut-shaming only came into use in the early 2000s, the idea has been around for quite some time. Women have been criticized for their appearance and behavior since ancient Roman times. In 56 BC, Cicero labelled women who were unmarried and wore clothes that attracted men as sluts (Resnick, 2023). This however, does not excuse the behaviour. The act of slut-shaming can be harmful to one’s mental health, and this is especially true for teenage and adolescent girls.
Virginity Test in Indonesian Military
As previously mentioned, the topic of a woman’s virginity is highly taboo in conservative countries. In Indonesia itself, the topic is oddly of importance. In the 1965, Indonesia legalized the practice of virginity testing for women candidates who wants to apply the Indonesian Army (TNI) or the Indonesian Police Force (PolRI) under the Regulation of the Chief of the Indonesian National Police No. 5 of 2009 on “Peraturan Kepala Kepolisian Republik Indonesia Nomor 5 Tahun 2009 tentang Pedoman Pemeriksaan Kesehatan Penerimaan Calon Anggota Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia”. According to Article 36, female officer candidates must undergo an examination of obstetrics and gynaecology, meaning the uterus and reproductive organs.
Although the regulation does not explicitly mention about a “virginity tests”, but the Human Rights Watch investigation of two senior police women shows that virginity tests have been hanging around for a long time and it was only until as of recently that the Indonesian National Army ended the virginity test in military enlistment selection. In a Human Rights Watch article written by Indonesian author and human rights activist, Andreas Harsono (2022), Indonesian National Army Medical Center Chief— Major General Budiman— announced that all three branches of the TNI, the Army, Navy, and Air Force, have ended virginity tests for military recruitment. In June 2021, the former Army Chief of Staff (KASAD), Gen. Andika Perkasa, issued an order to commanders within the Army that recruitment of female soldiers should only be assessed based on their ability to perform physical training. At the time, he also ordered that fiancés of male soldiers who wanted to get married be exempted from medical examinations that included virginity tests.
From this alone, we can conclude that a virginity test is a form of gender-based violence that specifically targets women. The test involves a procedure that by its nature invades a woman’s boundaries. Women who want to join the country’s military should not be subjected to harassment or discrimination when enlisting. The Indonesian National Army’s decision to end the virginity test is a progressive step that should be appreciated. This step is not just an administrative policy, but also a symbol of commitment to stop discriminatory practices inherent in patriarchal culture. However, the abolition of virginity tests is only one step towards gender equality, which still has a long way to go. Various layers of society have social stigmas that link virginity to women’s self-worth. Women continue to face moral demands that do not apply to men. This shows that while policies have changed, cultural and structural challenges still require serious attention. Removing this stigma requires systematic action through education, public discussion and equality campaigns.
Society must understand that the value of individuals, both men and women, is not determined by physical aspects such as virginity. Women have full rights over their bodies, including freedom from social discrimination that prevents them from being fully human. If moral values are linked to women’s bodies, society will remain trapped in the vortex of patriarchy, which limits women’s overall progress. The value of individuals should be measured by their character and contributions, not by irrelevant physical expectations. By doing so, we can build a society that is more just, inclusive and free from gender-based discrimination.
References
Azizah, N. (2021). “Tes Keperawanan” Membuat Kami Mengalami Trauma Panjang. Konde.co.
Evan, V. (2021). ‘Really painful to walk’: Women speak up about state ‘virginity testing’. The Jakarta Post.
Harsono, A. (2022). Indonesia Military Finally Ends Abusive ‘Virginity Test’. Human Rights Watch.
Resnick, A. (2023). What Is Slut-Shaming? Verywell Mind.
Susanti, E. (2023). Keperawanan Perempuan Selalu Jadi Perdebatan, Padahal Keperjakaan Tidak. Konde.co.
