Virginity Testing in Zimbabwe: Preserving Cultural Moral Values or a Violation of Women’s Rights?

Virginity testing of young women has been one of the most controversial and sensitive subjects in Zimbabwe. On one hand, proponents of African cultural practices view virginity testing as a stop gap measure to preserve societal moral and cultural values especially for teenage girls, whilst on the other hand exponents are of the view that the practice is a wanton violation of women’s and children’s rights. The aim of this paper was to examine the general perception with regards to the practice of virginity testing of teenage girls. To achieve this, data were gathered from existing sources of literature using the secondary data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that virginity testing has been practised over the years in Zimbabwe as societies claimed that it preserves their identity and culture, and that it is also a strategy of combating the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Furthermore, the study established that the practice is heavily criticised by the civil society organisations who argued that it violates girls and young women’s rights and deprives them of the power and control over their bodies and sexuality. Thus, the study recommends traditional institutions to follow the laws of the land and protect the rights of young women and girls from abuse by families, religious and ethnic groups.