New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron is looking to ban the ‘virginity tests’ in the country as part of his campaign against what he calls “Islamic separatism”. Macron said that in a country like France, there should be no need to issue a “virginity certificate’ as a prerequisite for marriage in any community.
“In the Republic, one cannot require certificates of virginity to get married”, he asserted, adding that his government is planning to introduce punishment for the perpetrator.
Macron’s administration has also prepared a draft legislation for reinforcing French secular values that prevent such practices. It is being said that the bill proposes a year in jail and a fine of €15,000 (more than Rs 13 lakh) against any medical professional who issues the so-called “virginity certificate”.
In a speech last week, the French President vowed to fight against radicalisation in the country as seen in certain French Muslim communities, claiming that a minority of the country’s nearly six million Muslims was in danger of forming a “counter-society”.
However, Macron has faced severe backlash for proposing the legislation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the ”testing” of a woman’s “virginity” unscientific as it violates human rights, and can have harmful consequences for those who undergo it.
The practice, which is prevalent in several Muslim nations, is already banned in countries like Bangladesh. However, it continues to be legal in the United States of America.