by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
CAIRO, Egypt — A member of the Egyptian parliament’s Human Rights Committee, Ilhami Agina, declared that females seeking to attend university should be required to undergo a mandatory “virginity test” before being admitted.
In an interview with an Egyptian newspaper, Mr. Agina stated the parliament has to check the medical examination of “any girl who enters university” in order to “prove that she is a Miss.” He further commented that each female must present an “official document” upon university admission, which states that “she is a Miss.”
Mr. Agina defended his comments by stating that the virginity tests would help reduce the number of Urfi marriages in the country, and further commented that “no one should be upset by this decision.” Urfi marriages, also known as customary marriages, are viewed as a religiously sanctioned way of having premarital sex, which is a taboo in the conservative country. In Egypt, a young woman’s virginity is widely seen as a matter of family honor, and its loss could prevent her from getting married. Accordingly, Mr. Agina indicated that a woman who fails the virginity test will have her parents notified immediately in an attempt to prevent couples from entering into pre-marital relations.
National outrage broke out after Mr. Agina’s use of “Miss” was interpreted by Egyptians as referring to a woman who is a virgin. Egypt’s National Council for Women is set to file a report with the country’s top attorney over Mr. Agina’s “offensive remarks about women in Egypt and abroad.” The Council will also be submitting a complaint to the speaker of parliament, demanding Mr. Agina’s expulsion from parliament and seeking a criminal investigation into his actions and comments. In addition to his statements about medical exams for university admission, the council is also referencing previous remarks in which Mr. Agina stated that the practice of female genital mutilation was needed in Egypt to restrict women’s sexuality and counterbalance male impotence.
Ms. Amna Nosseir, an Egyptian female parliament member and Islamic Law professor, stated that “Agina’s remarks represent an insult to women and public manners in Egypt.” Mr. Agina, however, has stated that his remarks had been misinterpreted and that he only made a “suggestion,” not a “demand” in response to a question regarding the government’s role in ending customary marriages.
For more information, please see:
Al Arabiya—Egyptian lawmaker’s call for virginity tests draws fire—2 October 2016
