Skins of morality: bio-borders, ephemeral citizenship and policing women in Indonesia

Indonesia’s policewomen were rarely in public (or even police) consciousness prior to 2013. Yet the succeeding five years saw an explosion in visibility. Public furore concerning forced virginity testing of recruits, national debate over permitting women to veil on duty, and social media sites consumed with beauty concomitantly propelled policewomen into the limelight. I draw on these three examples to illustrate how various forms of power are levelled precisely at the borders of a woman’s body, what I frame as bio-borders. I focus on three bio-borders: hymens, veils and beauty. Drawing on Franck Billé’s (2017) work on skin and geopolitical boundaries, I analyse these bio-borders as sites where Indonesia’s neoliberal moral authority is asserted and contested. As an enforcer of state law, a policewoman’s virginity, purity and appearance signify Indonesia’s moral standing and mandate overt surveillance and control. Policewomen thus undergo intense daily moral labour to conform to expectations. As good moral ephemeral citizens showcasing Indonesia’s public face, policewomen: feel unable/unwilling to contest forced virginity testing; are empowered to demand the right to wear the veil on duty; and are complicit in accepting (and enjoying) beauty as a recruitment requirement while simultaneously expressing regret that they are judged on appearance.