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The Indonesian government subjects female applicants for Indonesia’s National Police to discriminatory and degrading 'virginity tests,' Human Rights Watch said.

In a series of interviews with HRW, nine women who had applied to become police officers said as part of a medical examination they were ordered to strip off for a gynaecological check.

Applicants who “failed” were not necessarily expelled from the force, but all of the women described the test as painful and traumatic.

"I don't want to remember those bad experiences, it was humiliating," said one 19-year-woman, who took the test in the city of Pekanbaru, on western Sumatra island, and whose identity was not disclosed.

Why should we take off our clothes in front of strangers? It is not necessary; I think it should be stopped."

virginity tests are discriminatory and a form of gender-based violence – not a measure of women’s eligibility for a career in the police,” said Nisha Varia, associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch.

HRW said a posting on the force's own website this month noted that female applicants must undergo the procedure. Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A senior police have insisted in recent years that virginity tests for female applicants have been stopped, HRW said a posting on the force’s own website this month noted that female applicants must undergo the procedure.

HRW said women currently make up about 3 per cent of the 400,000-strong force, but added the police had launched a drive to increase the number of female officers in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

(AW: Arun Kumar)