On the country, virginity tests in Morocco, as a common practice. Young Moroccans fight back inside now with a campaign. For them, the Test is a Form of rape. And an expression of backwardness.
Mariam is a young woman of 24 years. The Moroccan is of marriageable age. In some time, so the General expectation will be for the first time intimate with a man. Prior to that, she’s scared. The reason: As a young girl she was forced to by a midwife carried out virginity test. Since that time, Mariam is afraid of marriage. The investigation, she says, was “barbaric”. “It was painful and hurt my Dignity as a human being and as a woman.”
In the countryside in Morocco, such an investigation is common practice, says Mariam. Many young women would have to pull her under. If necessary, they would be brought by force to one of the traditional midwives, many of whom could have no medical qualifications. It is important only that the respective families of her familiar.
So Mariam has not hesitated, that movement, in which young women under the slogan “My Vagina belongs to me”. The Initiative aims to draw attention to the psychological and sexual coercion, among the young women. “Because the worst Form of rape is the one that robs young women of their Right to sexual self-determination,” says Mariam.
“Virginity is a matter of honor”
A suburb of the city of Meknes at the foothills of the Atlas mountains. Here, an elderly woman, one of the neighbors lives with a view to your View “the Blessed”. The Reputation is based on their task: to determine whether a young woman has the Status of virginity or not.
“My Vagina belongs to me” – poster of the women’s rights movement
“I carry great responsibility,” says “the Blessed” of the DW. “For I carry the secrets of many families with me. I’m going to keep for myself of course, because it is virginity, so, honor.” To get the virginity, and was therefore the duty of every young woman. In order to secure the honor of the family. A girl, lost his virginity, have no value. You would then be handled by anyone without respect.
Many families relied on the custom of the investigation, declared that “the Blessed one”. So they checked the virginity of their daughters and protect you against forbidden sexual relations. Their methods, she says, are neither primitive nor painful. You preferably use natural materials, which caused no injuries. In order to verify the density of the hymen, use it around eggs. Often referred to with the Hand.
A type of rape
Exactly this practice, the activist criticize the inside of the “My Vagina belongs to me”. You violate the sexual freedom and human Dignity of young women. Among the objectives of the campaign “My Vagina, me” belong, to create adequate awareness for all those women who had been raped in one way or another, and dared not to talk about it, says Sarah al-Awni, an activist for the human rights group “Moroccan Association for the protection of Individual freedoms”.
“Virginity is a false concept” – poster of the human rights movement
The virginity test young women would be raped, because their Dignity will not be respected. The aim of the campaign was that virginity applies in the future as a prerequisite of a marriage.
A number of girls would be subjected to the virginity test on degrading and arbitrary way, as the al-Awna. This affected their psychological and sexual well-being. This applies all the more if unsuitable instruments would be used. Often, the women who examined the girls worked under unsanitary conditions. Sometimes you would be asked of the families, illegal abortions.
The movement was quite successful, says al-Awna. More and more young women joined her order to escape the pressure of their families. The members of the campaign, however, considered virginity as an illusory concept.
Against ignorance and backwardness
Fatima Khalidi, a young journalist and supporter of the campaign, rejects it, virginity and honour to be equated. Honor is a comprehensive word that should not be on a particular part of the body of a woman reduced.
Honor is not a female body part reduce: journalist Fatima Khalidi
“My Vagina belongs to me” give a voice to those who otherwise would have no voice, says Khalidi. The pressure to maintain virginity, forcing the women in ignorance and backwardness. Therefore, this pressure to belong is fought.
The campaign pressures, the refusal of young Moroccans of the interior, the value structure of previous generations, says the human rights activist Abdel Karim al-Qamsh. The number of Moroccan women, the continued virginity with the honor of the same, had become small.
As one of the causes of this change, he sees the profound changes that have passed through Morocco in the last time. The modern society have different values – also in relation to virginity and honor.