Women, girls face 'invasive tests'

Afghan women and girls accused of so-called moral crimes are often forced to endure invasive and scientifically questionable "virginity tests" by government doctors, according to human rights advocates.

Improving the lives and rights of women remains a major challenge in Afghanistan nearly 15 years after a US-backed military campaign ousted the Taliban regime.

Of 53 women and girls interviewed in a dozen provinces across Afghanistan, 48 said they had been subjected to compulsory gynecological exams by government officials after being accused of adultery or escaping from home, investigators for Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commision found in a study conducted last year. The study's findings were publicized on Monday.