No More Virginity Test for Female Recruits: Indonesian Military

TheIndonesia.id - The Indonesian Military, or TNI, has removed the much-debated virginity test for female recruits as one of the requirements to join the military.

Chief of TNI’s health center (Kapuskes) Maj. Gen. Budiman said the abolition of the requirement has come into force in the military’s three branches.

“[The abolition] has taken effect in all branches: land, sea, and air,” Budiman said on Wednesday, April 13, as reported by Antara.

The policy is based on instruction from TNI commander Gen. Andika Perkasa that virginity test won’t affect female recruits during their education, training, and employment as military personnel, so it should no longer be required.

“The TNI commander removed the requirement from technical manual for recruits’ physical exam,” Budiman explained.

The major general also added that the abolition seeks to protect the human rights of women who have lost their virginity, both accidentally and intentionally, so they continue to have the same opportunity to join the military – as long as they possess good intellectual and physical capacity.

“It’s related to the person’s credibility, and we have a series of tests to prove it. However, [virginity test] is no longer the standard regulated in manual,” Budiman stated.

The abolition of virginity test as a requirement in the military recruitment process was initially mentioned by Perkasa in 2021 when he was the Indonesian Army’s chief of staff.

He said the test no longer had relevance with the purpose of military education.

“[Because it’s] no longer relevant, it’s no longer necessary,” Perkasa said at the time.