WUNRN
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - BRIDE PRICE
VIDEO:
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA - POLICE CITE
BRIDE PRICE IN MARITAL VIOLENCE
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21
Nov 2011 - PORT MORESBY, PNG (THE NATIONAL) --- Bride price is the major
contributing factor today that’s why married men feel they can do anything to
their wives, a senior Papua New Guinea police officer says. Minj police
station commander Horim Piamia said many men regarded their wives as
materials they bought from a shop and not as their partners. Inspector
Piamia made the comment last Friday in Minj, in the Jiwaka region of Western
Highlands, saying there had been an increase in violence against women in the
region. He said the mentality of the people still had not changed and they
remained bound by their culture. “Women are still regarded as second class
people, with no standing in their communities.” He
said if the bride price system was removed, “this will change the mindset of
the people and men will start to respect their wives”. Piamia said women
still faced the prospect of violence from their husbands because “they know
that bride price was paid to their parents”. He
said every citizen was protected by the laws of the country and they had a
right to make any decisions concerning their lives. Piamia said as the police
station commander he was carrying out awareness and trying to educate the
people about the wrongs of violence against women. He said it was a major
concern for the region and country. Piamia
said in addition police were carrying out awareness to do away with
compensation for roads deaths or for those killed in tribal fights. Piamia
said his office had received many reports about violence against women but
when they arrested the husbands, they defended themselves by saying they had
paid bride price. He said police were often told the fault was with wives and
the husbands “decided to teach them a lesson”. He said as a result most
husbands walked away free. “It’s
time the bride price system is done away with and in any marriage, the
parents of the bride and groom must support the new family”. He said paying
bride price did not help to strengthen marriage, “instead it causes a lot of
problems for the women”. __________________________________________________________________ |