'Virginity tests' and also the abuse of Egypt's ladies Editor's note: Isobel Coleman may be the writer of "Paradise Beneath Her Feet" and a senior other for U.S. international policy during the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
(CNN) -- back March, Amnesty Global started reporting that the Egyptian military had exposed 17 females protesters at a Tahrir Square demonstration to "virginity tests." The ladies told Amnesty which they was indeed handcuffed and beaten, stripped searched and photographed by male soldiers, then restrained by feminine soldiers while a guy in a white coating performed a virginity check.
The army denied the accusations, however in recent years times, a senior general has verified to CNN that certainly, the virginity tests happened. The overall justified the abuse by saying these ladies "were in contrast to your mine or daughter. They certainly were girls that has camped call at tents with male protesters."
The overall went on to insist that the tests had been necessary because "we don't wish (the ladies) to state we had sexually assaulted or raped them, therefore we wanted to show they certainly weren't virgins in the 1st place."
What exactly are virginity tests? These are generally a controversial but practice that is relatively common Egypt -- so much so that hymenoplasty (hymen restoration) can be wanted by Egyptian brides to safeguard their reputation on the wedding evening. However their usage as an intimidation factor by protection forces appears to be a brand new twist.
And on the basis of the outrage across Egypt over this punishment, it seems that the military's make an effort to intimidate and smear the ladies protesters has backfired. Individual liberties groups are demanding an investigation that is full a few demonstrations are planned in coming times meant for the ladies.