Virginity testing

The election manifesto demands action against violence, honour-based oppression and sexual abuse against women and children, and the party programme wants to prevent patriarchal violence through targeted work against its different expressions, including honour-based oppression. Virginity tests are one such expression. A ban for health personnel from assisting and sharpened legislation therefore follow from the plan, even though it does not mention the phenomenon by name.

• action against honour-based oppressiondecisive»I ett tryggt samhälle tar vi krafttag mot våld, hedersförtryck och sexuella kränkningar mot kvinnor, barn och hbtqi-personer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In a safe society, we take action against violence, honour-based oppression and sexual abuse against women, children and LGBTQI people.”
• targeted work against the expressions»de olika uttryck det tar sig, som sexköp och hedersförtryck.« (party programme ↗)“the different forms it takes, such as sexual trafficking and honour-based oppression.”
• work against patriarchal violence»Arbetet mot det patriarkala våldet behöver bygga på en förståelse för« (party programme ↗)“Work against patriarchal violence needs to be based on an understanding for”
• functioning justice system for women»Det är viktigt att rättssystemet fungerar, att kvinnors erfarenheter tas på allvar och att de som begår brott döms.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is important that the justice system functions, that women's experiences are taken seriously and that those who commit crimes are convicted.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto promises measures to stop honour-related violence and sexual crimes, and the party stands up for all women's right to decide over their own bodies. Virginity checks are an honour-related violation of exactly that right, why the plan supports reviewing and tightening legislation and prohibiting healthcare personnel from participating. However, the plan says nothing about an ongoing review.

• measures against honour-related violencedecisive»Krafttag för att stoppa hedersrelaterat våld, sexualbrott och mäns våld mot kvinnor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Measures to stop honour-related violence, sexual crimes and men's violence against women.”
• women's bodily self-determination»Vi socialdemokrater står upp för alla kvinnors rätt att bestämma över sin egen kropp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We social democrats stand up for all women's right to decide over their own bodies.”
• feminist party»Med denna grundsyn är socialdemokratin ett feministiskt parti.« (party programme ↗)“With this basic view social democracy is a feminist party.”
• safe childhood under child convention»Alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt i enlighet med FN:s barnkonvention.« (party programme ↗)“All children shall have the right to a safe childhood in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

The election manifesto commits to strengthening work against honour-related violence and oppression and states that no one shall be limited by honour-based oppression. The party programme requires that society's institutions are prepared and equipped to counter acts carried out under the influence of honour-based notions, which directly supports the counter-proposal's requirement for a ban on healthcare personnel participating in virginity checks and strengthened legislation. The plan does not mention virginity checks as such, so the conclusion is inferred.

• strengthened work against honour-based oppressiondecisive»stärka arbetet mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck så att likvärdig hjälp ges i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen work against honour-related violence and oppression so that equivalent support is provided throughout the country.”
• tools against honour-based violence»Samhällets institutioner ska ha beredskap och verktyg för att motverka patriarkalt våld och våldshandlingar som utförs under påverkan av hedersföreställningar.« (party programme ↗)“Society's institutions shall be prepared and equipped to counter patriarchal violence and acts of violence carried out under the influence of honour-based notions.”
• limit the perpetrator»Ingen ska begränsas av hedersförtryck och våld, det är förövarens frihet som ska begränsas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one shall be limited by honour-based oppression and violence; it is the perpetrator's freedom that shall be limited.”
• religion does not justify oppression»Religion kan heller aldrig vara en ursäkt för att begränsa andras friheter och rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Religion can never be an excuse for limiting others' freedoms and rights.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto explicitly states that virginity checks should be criminalized and that a ban protects girls further. The manifesto also wants healthcare personnel to be trained to more quickly detect honour violence, which exactly meets the requirement for healthcare personnel's involvement. The counter-proposal's requirements for a ban and tightened legislation are therefore the party's own line in substance.

• criminalize virginity checksdecisive»Ingen ska utsättas för hedersförtryck i Sverige. Utöver tidiga insatser i skolan vill vi bland annat kriminalisera oskuldskontroller och kontrollerande beteende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one should be subjected to honour oppression in Sweden. In addition to early intervention in schools, we want to, among other things, criminalize virginity checks and controlling behaviour.”
• ban protects girls»Med ett förbud mot oskuldskontroller kan vi skydda flickor ytterligare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“With a ban on virginity checks we can protect girls further.”
• train healthcare personnel»Skolpersonal och vårdpersonal bör utbildas och nationell frånvarostatistik införas för att snabbare kunna upptäcka hedersvåld.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School personnel and healthcare personnel should be trained and national absence statistics introduced to be able to more quickly detect honour violence.”
• honour violence never acceptable»Våld i nära relationer, sexualiserat våld, hedersrelaterat våld och kränkningar« (party programme ↗)“Violence in close relationships, sexualized violence, honour-related violence and harassment”

The plan explicitly requires that criminalization be broadened to expressions of honour thinking such as virginity checks. A prohibition for healthcare workers to participate in virginity checks and a strengthening of the legislation are thereby exactly what the plan wants. The plan also establishes that crimes shall never be relativized by reference to honour concepts and that parallel justice systems shall never be accepted.

• criminalize virginity checksdecisive»straffen för hedersrelaterade brott skärpas och kriminaliseringen breddas till uttryck för hederstänkande såsom oskuldskontroller och uppfostringsresor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“penalties for honour-related crimes are increased and criminalization is broadened to expressions of honour thinking such as virginity checks and disciplinary trips.”
• no relativization of honour-related crimes»Brott ska aldrig relativiseras med hänsyn till patriarkala traditioner eller hedersbegrepp.« (party programme ↗)“Crimes shall never be relativized taking into account patriarchal traditions or honour concepts.”
• no parallel justice systems»Parallella samhällen med odemokratiska värderingar och parallell rättsskipning får aldrig accepteras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Parallel societies with undemocratic values and parallel justice systems shall never be accepted.”
• honour oppression as a threat to freedom»Hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck är ett allvarligt hot mot individers frihet och en« (party programme ↗)“Honour-related violence and oppression is a serious threat to individuals' freedom and a”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The party programme establishes that people's absolute and inviolable value shall characterize frameworks, rules and practice in the medical ethics sphere, and that religious freedom must never mean violating other people in the name of faith. Virginity checks violate girls' and women's bodily integrity and are performed in the name of honour. The programme additionally requires that legislation mark violence against women as a serious crime. The plan therefore supports requirements to ban healthcare staff from participating and for strengthened legislation.

• human dignity in medical ethicsdecisive»absoluta och okränkbara värde ska därför prägla ramar, regler och praktik inom det medicinsketiska området« (party programme ↗)“absolute and inviolable value shall therefore characterize frameworks, rules and practice in the medical ethics sphere”
• faith shall not violate others»i trons namn kränker andra människor« (party programme ↗)“in the name of faith violates other people”
• legislation against violence against women»I lagstiftningen måste markeras att våld« (party programme ↗)“In legislation it must be marked that violence”
• increased sentences for sexual offences»Skärp straffen för sexualbrott kraftigt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly increase penalties for sexual offences.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan explicitly promises to criminalize virginity testing and to ban so-called moral policing, within a zero-tolerance against honour-based abuse. It also identifies interventions performed on young women under honour-related norms as something to be countered. The counter-proposal's demand for a ban for healthcare staff to participate and for strengthened legislation thus lies directly in line with the plan.

• criminalize virginity testingdecisive»Kriminalisera oskuldskontroller« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Criminalize virginity testing”
• zero tolerance against honour-based abuse»Moderaterna vill införa en nolltolerans mot hedersbrott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates want to introduce zero tolerance against honour-based abuse.”
• stop honour-related interventions»Ingrepp som kallas reparation av mödomshinnan görs, där unga kvinnor som lever under hedersrelaterade normer betalar för att ”laga” något som inte finns.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Interventions called hymen repair are performed, where young women living under honour-related norms pay to "repair" something that does not exist.”
• honour-based oppression threatens gender equality»Jämställdheten hotas av hedersförtrycket.« (party programme ↗)“Gender equality is threatened by honour-based oppression.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The election manifesto names virginity checks as a widespread honour-related phenomenon and states that honour culture shall be combated with society's collective resources. The plan also wants to increase society's efforts and coordinate work against honour-based oppression and tighten the regulations regarding honour-related phenomena. A ban for healthcare personnel to participate in virginity checks and tightened legislation is precisely the kind of measure the plan seeks, which is why the plan supports the counter-proposal's demands.

• virginity checks must be eliminateddecisive»Könsstympning och oskuldskontroller är mycket vanliga i segregerade områden och bland stora invandrargrupper.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Female genital mutilation and virginity checks are very common in segregated areas and among large immigrant groups.”
• combat honour culture»Hederskultur är oförenligt med svenska värderingar och ska bekämpas med samhällets samlade resurser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Honour culture is incompatible with Swedish values and shall be combated with society's collective resources.”
• clearer mandate against honour-based oppression»Sverigedemokraterna vill öka samhällets kunskap och insatser mot hederskultur och förtryck. Skola, socialtjänst och rättsväsende måste få ett tydligare uppdrag att identifiera barn och unga som misstänks leva i hederskultur« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to increase society's knowledge and efforts against honour culture and - oppression. Schools, social services and the judicial system must be given a clearer mandate to identify children and young people suspected of living in honour culture”
• coordinated efforts»Samordna insatserna mot hedersförtryck« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Coordinate efforts against honour-based oppression”

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The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.