<p>Authorities in Pakistan's most populous province on Saturday banned an outdated medical procedure in which rape victims are subjected to an invasive physical examination.</p>.<p>The move comes after critics of the "two-finger test" this year sued the government of Punjab province, home to about 110 million people, in a bid to stop the practice dating back to the time of British colonial rule.</p>.<p>Proponents of the internal examination claim it can assess a woman's sexual promiscuity and her "honour", and whether she had been "habituated to sexual intercourse".</p>.<p>Backlash to the test has been growing in recent years, with critics saying it provides zero useful information and is traumatic for rape victims.</p>.<p>Punjab health authorities in September admitted the test held "limited evidentiary value" but the practice continued.</p>.<p>Saturday's ban, which takes immediate effect across Punjab, effectively preempts the ongoing court case.</p>.<p>A similar case is also underway in the southern province of Sindh with momentum growing for a nationwide ban.</p>.<p>Welcoming Punjab's ban, Sidra Humayun, a case manager for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, told AFP it would be a challenge to ensure compliance by medical workers.</p>.<p>The mentality that still "links the reliability of a rape victim's claims to her virtue and honour" in legal cases also must be addressed, she added.</p>.<p>The World Health Organization has declared the test "unscientific, medically unnecessary and unreliable".</p>.<p>Neighbouring India banned the two-finger test in 2013 and Bangladesh followed suit in 2018.</p>.<p>Sameer Khosa, the lawyer behind Punjab's court petition, welcomed the ban but said other problematic practices such as virginity testing through the examination of the hymen are still being performed.</p>.<p>Pakistan is a deeply conservative and patriarchal nation where victims of sexual abuse often are too afraid to speak out, or where police frequently fail to investigate cases seriously.</p>
<p>Authorities in Pakistan's most populous province on Saturday banned an outdated medical procedure in which rape victims are subjected to an invasive physical examination.</p>.<p>The move comes after critics of the "two-finger test" this year sued the government of Punjab province, home to about 110 million people, in a bid to stop the practice dating back to the time of British colonial rule.</p>.<p>Proponents of the internal examination claim it can assess a woman's sexual promiscuity and her "honour", and whether she had been "habituated to sexual intercourse".</p>.<p>Backlash to the test has been growing in recent years, with critics saying it provides zero useful information and is traumatic for rape victims.</p>.<p>Punjab health authorities in September admitted the test held "limited evidentiary value" but the practice continued.</p>.<p>Saturday's ban, which takes immediate effect across Punjab, effectively preempts the ongoing court case.</p>.<p>A similar case is also underway in the southern province of Sindh with momentum growing for a nationwide ban.</p>.<p>Welcoming Punjab's ban, Sidra Humayun, a case manager for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, told AFP it would be a challenge to ensure compliance by medical workers.</p>.<p>The mentality that still "links the reliability of a rape victim's claims to her virtue and honour" in legal cases also must be addressed, she added.</p>.<p>The World Health Organization has declared the test "unscientific, medically unnecessary and unreliable".</p>.<p>Neighbouring India banned the two-finger test in 2013 and Bangladesh followed suit in 2018.</p>.<p>Sameer Khosa, the lawyer behind Punjab's court petition, welcomed the ban but said other problematic practices such as virginity testing through the examination of the hymen are still being performed.</p>.<p>Pakistan is a deeply conservative and patriarchal nation where victims of sexual abuse often are too afraid to speak out, or where police frequently fail to investigate cases seriously.</p>