"The point of the exercise was to put them under physical and mental pressure and in doing that we restricted a bit of food, we limited the amount of sleep they had and then we assessed them on how they coped with that pressure and how they maintained their leadership under pressure."
All the trainees received the same treatment, including weapon training, but the women were unlikely to be deployed in combat roles, Captain Tiplady said.
"It's likely they'll be in more logistical support roles."
Violent incidents in recent years have marked the country as unsafe.
Last week New Zealander Nick Bennett survived a deadly ambush while trekking in the Papua New Guinea highlands.
He was among a group of Australian trekkers and local porters attacked by bandits on the Black Cat trail in PNG's northern Morobe province.
Two porters were hacked to death with machetes and knives, while some of the surviving porters suffered gruesome injuries.
But Captain Tiplady said the locals were "the friendliest people I've ever met".
"I've never been anywhere where I've had so many strangers come up to me and shake my hand and say hello.
"I guess they were intrigued by a white woman in uniform."
She said the challenge was satisfying and hoped one day to be able to return.
