Stop violence against women and children!

Oseah Philemon
Violence against women and children has become a major national issue in Papua New Guinea.

Women all over the country are now speaking out, calling for action by the government and authorities to put an end to it.

Yet, when the national Parliament received a petition from the women, the Somare Government said nothing about it. The Leader of Government Business—Minister for National Planning Paul Tiensten—only moved that parliament “do take note of the petition". It was accepted on voices and debate adjourned to a later date.

Such was the attitude of the male-dominated Papua New Guinea National Parliament towards an issue that has polarised the nation and driven women in large numbers onto the streets to protest against it.

The issue came to a head recently when a woman was admitted into the Kudjib Nazarene Hospital in the Western Highlands Province after being severely beaten by her husband.

After beating her up, the husband then proceeded to forcibly remove their unborn baby from her womb. The baby died instantly.

This young mother had previously lost her first child through continuous violent physical attacks by her own husband.

The husband had used heavy objects.

This latest attack brought condemnation from women throughout Papua New Guinea calling for an end to all forms of violence against women.

In Port Moresby, a women’s group calling itself the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee called women together to sign a petition to be presented to Parliament.

Dame Carol Kidu, the only woman in the Parliament and Minister for Community Development, presented the petition.

Kidu’s ministry also deals with issues such as violence against women and children.

Following the presentation of the petition to Parliament, women from all walks of life came forward to tell their stories about how their husbands had subjected them to sexual and physical abuse for long periods of time.

Wives of lawyers, policemen, top public servants and doctors and journalists have also come out to tell their stories.

A young woman also stepped forward to tell the story of how she, her father and other members of her family watched helplessly in broad daylight when her mother was gunned down at point blank range by a criminal gang which had earlier robbed them of all their possession along a major highway.

Mothers in the Enga Province have also voiced their concerns about violence especially gun violence which has left some them widows. Their husbands have been killed by guns in tribal fights leaving them with children whose future are now in great doubt.

The wives of two prominent lawyers recently came out to tell of their ordeal. Both said they have been abused physically, sexually and mentally by their highly-educated lawyer husbands. One told of how her husband has never spent any of his fat salary on the family, leaving the responsibility to the wife.

Letters to the editor pages in the newspapers also speak of a growing number of men who continuously abuse their wives in their homes.  Many of the men involved have gone into extra-marital affairs with other women and then beat up their wives when the wives question them.

Many women have also spoken of the effects of the violence on their children.

Not only are Papua New Guinean men accused of perpetrating sexual and physical violence against their wives, Papua New Guinea women married to Australians also speak of being continuously abused by their “white” husbands.

One spoke of how the husband had sexually and mentally abused her to the point where she had contemplated committing suicide to avoid further abuse.

She spoke of being continuously beaten up by her Australian husband, who's been telling their children that the mother was "a prostitute he found on the streets".

Some women have spoken of being violently abused by their husbands or partners because of disparities in education and jobs.

One spoke of how she had been regularly beaten up by her partner after drinking sessions with his so-called friends. “He would come home and wake me and the children up in the middle of the night and then start his abusive language. He would then punch me in front of the children telling them I was seeing another man,” a professional woman said recently.

She added: “The reason for this is that he is jealous of me. I earn more money than him and I am an executive in my company. He is just a clerk who hangs around with big people and pretends he is as big as them. That is why he so jealous of my success.”

The women of Papua New Guinea have now resolved that enough is enough. They are going to continue their campaign until the government amends the laws to increase penalties for all forms of crime against women and children.

A senior judicial officer says the courts need to be mindful of the growing voice of women on the issue of violence against women.

He said the courts must be consistent in the sentences they hand out to offenders to ensure it sends out a clear message to men that their behaviour is unacceptable.

Governor General Sir Paulias Matane, himself a strong family man, has called on men of PNG to stop their shameful behaviours.

The PNG Parliament will resume its sitting in November. Whether the government will open up debate and discussion on the women’s petition is unclear. But one thing is clear—that many Papua New Guineans—both men and women—are disgusted at the lack of debate by the male-dominated Parliament on the women’s petition on the very day it was tabled on the floor of Parliament.