ژورنال سایت خبری سیاسی ژورنال
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PDF-English Journal-30November 2025-No39
The criminalisation of virginity examinations and the issuing of virginity certificates -approved by the Swedish parliament some weeks ago – will come into force on 1 December. With this legislation, Sweden has taken a necessary step towards protecting women’s rights and dignity. The law, which also covers all medical interventions aimed at “restoring” virginity, is not merely a medical prohibition; it is a direct challenge to one of the oldest mechanisms of gender control and a long-standing tool of domination over women’s bodies. For years in Sweden, girls and women in religiously conservative, Islam-influenced environments have been pressured and victimised by these reactionary, decaying values. Implementing this law may help bring an end to the nightmare endured by many of these women and girls.
Virginity testing is not a medical procedure; it is a means of exerting power, imposing familial pressure and reproducing destructive norms that bind women’s bodies to family “honour” and social “reputation”. The law explicitly states that women’s dignity and bodily autonomy are not negotiable – not in the name of tradition, taboo or cultural justification. For those of us who have long opposed the racist notion of “cultural relativism” and defended the universality of human rights, this is a major victory.
Through this action, Sweden adopts a clear stance against so-called “honour-based” violence – a stance that remains taboo, and even a red line, in many parts of the world. The law demonstrates that gender equality cannot be achieved through slogans or moral sympathy alone; it must be enshrined in legislation, formal mechanisms and concrete policy.
Ultimately, this law is an undeniable necessity but not the end of the road. While legislation can set boundaries, declare prohibitions and curtail instruments of control, it cannot by itself heal the wounds inflicted by years of fear, coercion and repression. To ensure real protection, Sweden must strengthen support mechanisms alongside its legal framework so that no woman facing violence is left alone or unprotected.
Our hope is that the Swedish government will extend such measures to other areas as well – including banning child circumcision, banning the hijab for children, and expanding legal protections for women and children living under religious, patriarchal and reactionary pressures. We will also continue to do our part in advancing these goals.
Editor: Patty Debonitas
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