Tonia Antoniazzi MP
  • Home
  • About Tonia
  • Latest News
  • Get in touch
  • Advice Surgeries
  • Newsletter Signup
  • COVID-19
  • Energy advice
  • Support Ukraine

Tonia Antoniazzi MP calls on the Government to Ban so-called ‘virginity tests’ and hymenoplasty

14/9/2021

 
Picture
Tonia Antoniazzi MP calls on the Government to Ban so-called ‘virginity tests’ and hymenoplasty

This week Tonia Antoniazzi MP joined a cross-party coalition of MPs and women’s rights organisations in backing New Clause 1 & 2 to the Health and Care Bill, to ban so-called ‘virginity testing’ and the practice of hymen ‘repair’ surgery.

So-called ‘virginity tests’ and the practice of hymen ‘repair’ surgery are both currently legal and are being conducted by doctors in the UK to ‘check’ or ‘restore’ the virginity of a woman, often prior to an arranged marriage.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that so-called ‘virginity testing’ is “A violation of the victims human rights and is associated with both immediate and long-term consequences that are detrimental to her physical, psychological and social well-being.”

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of  Midwives (RCM) strongly oppose the practices of virginity testing and hymenoplasty on the grounds that neither is medically required in any circumstance and support both the new clauses.

Tonia Antoniazzi MP said “Women and girls deserve to grow up free from notions of ‘breaking their womanhood’ so they ‘bleed on their wedding night’. These traumatic practices have no basis in medical science, harm women and girls and perpetuate dangerous myths of ‘purity’.

“We must act now to stop both ‘virginity testing’ and hymen ‘repair’ surgery. That’s why I am backing New Clause 1&2 to the Health and Care Bill as I call on the Government to end this violence against women and girls for good”.
 
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said, “We are very concerned that women are either being coerced into having these procedures or feel pressurised into having them so they can bleed during sex and can demonstrate they are a virgin on their wedding night.

“The RCOG and the RCM want to see both virginity testing and hymenoplasty banned in the UK. This will send a clear message that there is no place in the medical world for these procedures and that women deserve the right to have ownership over their own sexual and reproductive health.”
 
Diana Nammi, Executive Director of IKWRO - Women's Rights Organisation said,
“At IKWRO - Women's Rights Organisation, we support women and girls, whose lives have been put at risk of so-called "honour" killing because of virginity testing and who have been severely traumatised and harmed by hymenoplasty. That's why we are working with Tonia to ensure that these invasive and degrading harmful practices, which are an abuse of human rights, and have no medical or other justification, are banned without delay. We have learned from our experiences in tackling the harmful practices of female genital mutilation and forced marriage, how vital it is to have clear legislation as a deterrent.”
 
Halaleh Taheri Founder & Executive Director MEWSo said, “After a 2 year-long campaign we welcome these new clauses to ban virginity tests and hymenoplasty. These abusive practices should have been stopped long ago. Now it is the responsibility of the community leaders and the Government to reshape misguided attitudes about women's virginity and sexual control”
 
Natasha Rattu, Executive Director of Karma Nirvana said, “We believe that every woman deserves the right to make any decision about her body – free from shame, stigma or discrimination, without pressure to subscribe to ‘gender-based societal norms’, and without fear of harm. This is why we are working in partnership with Tonia Antoniazzi MP to bring forward new legislation to end virginity testing and hymenoplasty to help break the ‘virginity myth’.”
 
Richard Holden MP, who tabled the New Clauses said, “I am delighted to have received the support of Tonia Antoniazzi MP for New Clause 1 & 2. The Health and Social Care Bill is the best opportunity to ban these oppressive practices once and for all. It is great to see cross-party work, alongside charities and health professionals to tackle violence against women and girls.”

Comments are closed.

    News Archive

    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    APPG's
    Armed Forces
    Asylum Seekers And Refugees
    Banks
    BBC
    Cancer
    Climate Change & The Environment
    Committees
    Cost Of Living
    Crime
    Culture
    Development
    Devolved Matters
    Education
    Employment
    Energy
    Energy Bills
    Equality
    EU
    Family
    Gorseinon
    Health
    International
    IWD
    Medical Cannabis
    Mental Health
    Money
    Parliament
    Speeches
    Sport
    Trade Unions
    Universal Credit
    Weekly Update
    Women

Contact Tonia
PRIVACY POLICY
  • Home
  • About Tonia
  • Latest News
  • Get in touch
  • Advice Surgeries
  • Newsletter Signup
  • COVID-19
  • Energy advice
  • Support Ukraine