Woman leader: Nationwide haus krai plan paints negative picture

 THE nationwide demonstration of a haus krai paints a negative picture of women, according to a women’s organisation official.

Liklik Infomol Bisnis Meri Asosiesen president Mary Pohei said: “As a Papua New Guinean woman, I take offence and I see it as a curse and not blessing to women in PNG.

“Haus krai in Papua New Guinea is a sensitive idea that is likely to be associated with pain, sorrow, sadness, worry, fear and uncertainty of the future.

“Often such an idea conjures up misery and that sort of image is not going to promote the women’s cause in any significant way.

“It could undermine women’s position in society and that is dangerous in the sense that they are sprayed with a long- held negative image.

“It ruins rather than helps to promote the cause in PNG. It draws self-pity from others and their male counterparts.

“Women do possess some strong and rare qualities. They have that exceptional quality of prudent household management. 

“They go to the extreme just to put food on the mat for their children and are more concerned about the health of their babies.

“They also have that mental resilience that enables them to withstand difficult tasks, go through painful experiences and take on heavy loads on their heads and backs.

“At present, emotion overrides any logic to deal with such issues as violence against women.

“Take out emotion and think about the issue more objectively to find amicable solution.

“There is a way forward in such issues. 

“Start with women and look at what they have, don’t have and how they are organised.

“Use their organisations to mobilise and influence government instruments, agencies and bodies to enforce existing laws or introduce appropriate legislations with severe penalties for rape, murder and drug cases in the country.”