WOMEN in PNG are “over protected” by the country’s laws, a Mt Hagen community leader said in response to an anti-violence campaign.
Michael Wak also said it was wrong to generalise Papua New Guinean men as being violent against women.
“There are six million people in the country and about 3.5 million are men. Only 2,000 to 3,000 men abuse or mistreat women,” he said last Friday and described media reports as “exaggeration”.
Mr Wak said reports of abuse, rape, injustice and violence should be handled case-by-case.
“Women rights activists should not make general statements and portray a bad image of all PNG men as violent and aggressive towards women,” he said.
“Most of these women rights leaders and advocates are failed and problematic mothers who are trying to use the generally happy and stable PNG women, families and mothers as scapegoat to pick against the male race for their past personal problems.”
He added that the majority of women were strong mothers who were content to play a secondary role to their husbands.
“This is in accordance with our cultural norms and beliefs where mutual love, care, protection upbringing of family prevails.”
Mr Wak said the media and women rights groups must look at both sides of the coin as “it hurts when bulk of the innocent male race are generalised and labelled as perpetrators of violence against women”.
“I totally condemn any form of violence against women but I do not support generalised statements against morally upright and decent family men in the country who sweat to make ends meet for their families each day,” he said.
He said the process of civilisation in the Western society took thousands of years and that could not be emulated in PNG as the country became independent only 32 years ago.
He also called on MPs not to entertain a petition brought forward by Moresby South MP Dame Carol Kidu and some few women leaders as “it is a political propaganda and unjustified petition”.