Hanan Haret

Morocco - M.A.L.I. is a universal, feminist, and secular civil disobedience movement fighting against all forms of discrimination and in favor of equal rights. The M.A.L.I. has launched an online campaign against insulting virginity tests in Morocco.

 35-year-old Fatima lives in Casablanca city of Morocco. She told our news agency that her fiancé forced her to undergo a virginity test before marriage.

“After two years of our engagement, my fiancé told me that I had to undergo a virginity test, but I got angry and told him that he insulted me by asking this. His demand shows me that he didn’t trust me.

“My fiancé is an educated man, but this doesn’t change his ideas about women’s bodies and honor. We discussed a lot about the virginity tests, but in the end, he told me that my objection to undergo a virginity test is evidence showing that I hid a secret. His words hurt me, and I cried, but he tried to convince me. After discussing for days, I accepted to undergo the test in fear that he would leave me.”

Fatima kept talking about what she had faced as follows; “When I underwent the test, I felt pain; it was like I was being raped. After the test, the doctor told my fiancé that I was a virgin woman. I saw his smiling face. We went out together and he kept talking to me about his dreams after our marriage, but I did not care about his speech.  I broke off the engagement two months before our marriage.”

Campaign launched against virginity tests

Ibtisam Lashkar is a human rights activist working for “M.A.L.I.” movement. She said, “We have launched a campaign against virginity tests to combat physical and sexual violence against women because this test harms women’s dignity and mental health.” For Ibtisam Lashkar, the virginity test is sexual violence against women.

Struggle for sexual rights

Ibtisam Lashkar said, "We struggle for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights against all forms of male violence. Within the scope of the campaign, we shot a video about the campaign and the Arabic, French and English video is available on our website.”

Ban women from their right to self-determination

25-year-old Laila is one of the young women who believe in individual freedoms and support the campaign aiming to combat virginity tests in Morocco. Laila said, “The worst thing is to ban women from their right to self-determination.

"Forcing girls and women to undergo a virginity test is unacceptable. We must struggle against this, and such campaigns will achieve positive results.”

Moroccan society, particularly in the countryside, has forced girls and women to undergo a virginity test before marriage, and this test is demanded by their fiancés or their fiancés’ family, and sometimes by families of girls or women.