Sacred, Silent, Sexual: The Politics of Purity

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Introduction

In 2022, a 24-year-old newly married woman in Rajasthan, also a rape victim, was assaulted and tortured by her husband and in-laws (Persaud, 2014). Why? Because she failed a virginity test that was forcefully conducted on her. 

Why is virginity a taboo even today and where did it emerge from in the first place?

From Mary’s immaculate conception to Queen Maya's dream born Buddha, from Greek goddesses who guarded their virginity to women stoned for failing stained bedsheet tests on their wedding night, the fixation on female purity runs deep. The word “virgin” is derived from the Latin word “virgo” which means “an unmarried woman” and roots back to Greek goddess Athena Parthenos (Chen, 2010). But the issue lies in the word “losing”-implying irreparable loss. This discourse of damage adds to the taboo. Virginity has rarely been about the woman herself. Instead it has served as a metaphor for family honour, spiritual holiness, social control, and male ownership. This article examines the cultural obsession with virginity from ancient religious texts to modern day conceptions. We ponder over the question- why has the conception of virginity been used to define, punish and silence women across time and cultures? 

Miraculous Conceptions and Historical Roots

Many of the ideas related to virginity in Western culture originate from the “Virgin Mary". In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus is mentioned as having been conceived through the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb without the involvement of a human father and born while she was still a virgin (Klasanova, 2017). In the East, the birth of Buddha presents a similar picture. While Queen Maya was not a virgin, her dream of a white elephant resulted in the birth of Prince Siddhartha through her right side ‘far from the “impure” path of the vaginal birth’ (Klasanova, 2017). These divine birth stories shaped societal expectations, where purity and womanhood became intertwined in religious and cultural codes. 

In ancient cultures, virginity meant something very different from the restrictive, moralised idea it became under later influences. In ancient Greece, on her wedding day, a woman wasn’t allowed to make eye contact with any man other than her groom. But in the same culture, goddesses Athena and Ishtar were called “virgins” not because they were celibate but because they were autonomous- untouched by male control. 

In ancient India, particularly during the Vedic period, sexuality and hymen had no sacred status exemplified by the characters in the Mahabharata such as Satyawati,  who has a child (Ved Vyas) with Rishi Parashar out of wedlock and still goes on to marry into royalty without stigma.

Western Middle Ages and Bizarre Tests

During the Medieval times, the concept extended from a personal will to a socio-cultural reality, endowed with patriarchal values and culturally coded references symbolised by Elizabeth I in England and Joan of Arc, “la Pucelle,” in France (Chen, 2010). Virgins often had to undergo tests. 

Certain magical objects were used to test one’s virginal state. These included everyday objects like chair, pin, sieve etc. The chair couldn’t be sat on by an impure woman. The harp will play out of tune if a non-virgin woman approaches it. If a pin sinks in water, the woman is unchaste (Hunter, 2023). There were also ordeals that some women were put through, such as: catching a salmon with one’s bare hands; holding the greased and shaven tail of a bull; holding a poisonous snake; passing through fire; or passing under a magic rod (Hunter, 2023). Another common belief was that a sieve will retain water if placed in the pure hands of a virgin. The premise of these ordeals was that if a woman couldn’t perform them, they were impure.

Simone de Beauvoir points out in Virginity Myths how “virginity is prized in young women but feared as unmastered sexuality in older women” (Chen, 2010).

Modern Abstractions

Modern times mark continuation as well as divergence from early notions regarding virginity across geographies. In the early 19th century, a virgin woman was presented as radiantly healthy, but after the defeat of France by Prussia the resultant low birth rate led to changes in this image exemplified by Dr. Eynon’s Manuel de l’amour conjugal where she became a young frail girl who can become beautiful again by ‘deflowering’ on her wedding night (Mortas, n.d.).

In the Middle East, “being the first” is still seen as a masculine triumph, often weaponised against a woman’s honour. In Mexican culture, having dimples on the back of one’s knees is a symbol of loss of one’s virginity (Galindo, 2022). 

Various scholars have explored its meanings in the last 100 years. Gayle Rubin’s article “Thinking Sex” presents the idea of sex negativity- sex is inherently sinful, and “guilty until proven innocent”, but bears no such taboo in marriage. Jessica Valenti in ‘Purity Myth’ points out that there is no medical definition for virginity (Baima, 2018).

Even the USA, which was the leader in sexual revolutions has seen a conservative revival since the 1990s. The Purity Revolution, which includes the True Love Waits pledge, the Silver Ring Thing and Purity Balls (Hunter, 2023), is a major component of this American backlash. 

Irony also emerges from popular culture, which became a key vehicle for sexual liberty. Shows like Riverdale and Gossip Girls, which focus on sexually active adolescent characters, tend to perpetuate old stereotypes like "the good girl is the one who waits" and "the sexually confident girl is troubled or punished."

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Traditions and Psychological Trauma

Women subjected to these tests endure trauma, emotional distress, and a profound sense of violation. These consequences resonate far beyond the examination room, affecting an individual's mental and emotional well-being for an extended period. Many a times, single women due to such incidents, commit suicide or choose to leave their communities. Tying dignity to virginity can make women feel bound to their first sexual partner. The absence of social support and inability to confide with friends and family plays a significant role in reinforcing further self blame and hatred. Virginity tests can exacerbate the suffering after rape and make the victim again a victim. Other negative consequences of this ideal are forced child marriages, female genital mutilation, breast ironing, slut shaming and withholding of reproductive and sexual health information from young women (The Psychological Effects of the Importance of Virginity in Women in the Middle East, n.d.). The standard attached to female virginity also leads to marginalisation of prostitutes and sex workers in the society as they are seen as immoral and non-reputable which extends to their children and hinders their career aspirations. 

Idea of Kanya and Modern day India

Virginity, more than being a biological concept, is a social construct - a product created by people centuries ago and passed down as tradition throughout generations. This conviction is further legitimised by the marriage ritual of Kanyadaan, which presumably requires a woman to be a virgin in order for the ritual to be valid (Persaud, 2014).

The WHO states that virginity testing embodies a form of violence towards women and has no scientific or medical basis.  Legally, The Supreme Court of India has pronounced virginity tests as a violation of the fundamental right to privacy. This right is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares that "no one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy" (Article 12). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Article 5, calls for the eradication of practices that violate women's human rights, including virginity tests (Aastha, 2024). It also encompasses the violation of deeply personal and intimate aspects of a person’s life. The absence of conscious consent amplifies the ethical concerns associated with virginity tests. The right to equality and dignity as well as the right to privacy are both violated by this behavior. Every citizen has the right to enjoy their body in accordance with their own wishes; meaning virginity, as a concept, holds no weight in the eyes of Indian law.

Conclusion

Pop icon Madonna once said, “I always thought of losing my virginity as a career move” (Chen, 2010). It shows that virginity has never been just about sex, but a transaction, a performance as well. What Madonna exposes is how society projects value onto a woman’s virginity, so much so that it becomes a kind of public currency.

Throughout history, virginity has served as a measuring stick: of morality, marriageability, and worth. Modern times have brought a significant change in its perception, but still a long way remains to be covered to bring a fundamental transformation in women’s lives and ensure gender equality in a concrete sense. If virginity is truly a social construct, as this article argues, then dismantling it means not just changing laws or breaking myths it means reclaiming agency over our own stories, choices, and bodies.

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By Shraddha Yadav and Shatakshi Sharma

Shraddha Yadav is a first year student at Department of Political Science, Hindu College. Her academic interests extend to international relations, climate action and modern history and archaeology.

Shatakshi Sharma is a first year student at Department of Economics, Lady Shri Ram college for Women. She’s into current issues, pop culture, and long walks where she rewrites society in her head.

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References

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