- ;. ..,. DOl11estic . Violence In··,~ Papua New Guinea PAPUA NEWGUINEA Monogroph No.! ~l ------~-------------~~I I ! DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN ![ P APUA NEW GUINEA i Monograph No. 3 I DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Edited by SUSAN TOFT Law Reform Commission of Papua New Guinea Monograph No. 3 1 v For the women, and men, of l'apua New Guinea Copyright © 1985 by the Law Reform Commission and the several authors, each in respect of the paper contributed by him/her. See the table of contents for the full list of such copyright owners and the papers in respect of which they are the copyright owners. ISBN 9980 55 001 5 published by the Papua New Guinea Law Reform Commission, Port Moresby. Printed by Colorcraft Ltd., Hong Kong. Cover by Edwin Kouvali, National Arts School, incorporating a design of figures by Alphonse Miai previously published in Asimba by the Expressive Arts Department of Sogeri National High School, 1975. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA PREFACE /IL;\iW"kEFORM COMMISSION OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA COMMISSIONERS In response to a Reference from the Minister for Justice, the Law Reform J oseph Faupugu Aisa, Acting Chairman Commission has investigated the problem of dc.mestic violence in Papua New Guinea. Two extensive surveys, one rural and the other urban, have been Roy Tiden completed and results published in Occasional Papers Nos. 18 and 19. The Lepani Watson Immaculata Kereku survey reports contain mainly quantitative material, so the papers in this Robert Lak monograph, which bring a qualitative aspect to the collection and analysis of AlIan Marat data, add depth and enable a broader perspective on the topic. The authors are all professional anthropologists, who have done extensive field-work in the SECRETARY country, and the Commission is indebted to them for contributing their knowledge and experience in an attempt to understand more fully the social J osepha N. Kanawi situation surrounding the incidence of domestic violence, particularly wife­ beating. RESEARCH STAFF Sao Gabi Susan Toft Port Moresby Susan Toft October 1985 ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Luke Nalo Ari Heai Theresa Imamaeva Jack Uke-e The Commission is situated in the Government 4 Mile Offices. Postal Address: P. O. Box 3439 BOROKO Telephone: 258755 ix viii NOTE CONTENTS This publication is one in a group to be produced by the Pap~a New Guinea Law Reform Commission during 1985 and 1986 on the tOPICS of Marnage vii and/or Domestic Violence. The others are: PREFACE MAP viii • Occasional Paper No. 18 MARRIAGI, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN RURAL PAPUA NEW INTRODUCTION GUINEA by Murifyn Slrul"ern the results of a national rural survey. Professor of Anthropology, University of Manchester. • Occasional Paper No. 19 CHAPTER ONE 14 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN URBAN PAPUA NEW GUINEA MARIT AI, VIOI.ENCE IN PORT MORESBY: mainly based on results of surveys. TWO URBAN CASE STUmES by Sus"n Tofl • Monograph No. 4 Law Reform Commission of Papua New Guinea. MARRIAGE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA a companion to Occasional Paper No. 18 - ethnographic information CHAPTER TWO 32 from the survey villages. ATTlTUIJES AND PRACTICES RELATING TO MARITAL VIOLENCE AMONG THE TOtAl OF • Report No. 14 EAST NEW BRITAIN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE by S. ('''risline Bmdley summarising and concluding the recent research into domestic violence, Diybion of Community Development, East Ne\.\' Britain. with recommendations. CHAPTER THREE n KOVE WOMEN ANI) VIOI.ENCE: THE CONTEXT OF WIFE­ BEATING IN A WEST NEW BRITAIN SOCIETY by Ann ChoJ.1.'lIing Professor of Anthropology, Victoria University of Wellington. CHAPTER FOUR 92 THE POLITICS OF VIOLENCE IN KEWA SOCIETY (SOlJTliERN HIGHI.ANDS) by Liselle Josephides Department of History, University of Papua New Guinea. CHAPTER FIVE 104 FAMILY mSPlITES ANI) VILLAGE COlJRTS IN THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS by George Weslermark Department of Anthropology anti Sociology, University of Santa Clara. viii ix NOTE CONTENTS ·h· bll' cation is one in a group to be produced by the Papua New Guinea T lS pu . f M . Law Reform Commission during 1985 and 1986 on the tOP1CS 0 arnage and/o~ Domestic Violence. The others are: PREFACE vii MAP viii • Occasional Paper No. 18 MARRIAGE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN RURAL PAPUA NEW INTRODUCTION GUINEA by Muriiyn Slralhem the results of a national rural survey. Professor of Anthropology, University of Manchester. • Occasional Paper No. 19 CHAPTER ONE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN URBAN PAPUA NEW GUINEA 14 MARIT AI, VIOI.ENCE IN PORT MORESBY: mainly based on results of surveys. TWO URBAN CASE STUDIES by Si/san Tofl • Monograph No. 4 Law Reform Commission of Papua New Guinea. MARRIAGE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA a companion to Occasional Paper No. 18 - ethnographic information CHAPTER TWO from the survey villages. 32 ATTITUDES ANIlPRACTlCES RELATING TO MARITAL VIOLENCE AMONG THE TOtAl OF • Report No. 14 EAST NEW BRITAIN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE by 5i. Cllristine Bradfey summarising and concluding the recent research into domestic violence, Di\'bion of Comlnunity Development, East New Britain. with recommendations. CHAPTER THREE TI KOVE WOMEN AND VIOLENCE: THE CONTEXT OF WIFE­ BEATING IN A WEST NEW BRITAIN SOCIETY by Ann CI1Oh'.f1ing Professor of Anthropology, Victoria University of Wellington. CHAPTER FOUR 92 THE POLITICS OF VIOLENCE IN KEWA SOCIETY (SOlJTHERN HIGHLANDS) by Liselle Josephides Department of History, University of Papua New Guinea. CHAPTER FIVE 104 FAMILY DISPUTES AND VILLAGE COURTS IN THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS by George Weslel'lnork Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of Santa Clafa. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA MAP xi x :r: n. , CHAPTER SIX 120 <t FEMALE PLAINTIFFS AND SEX-RELATED DISPUTES IN RURAL 0:: ~' (!) PAPUA NEW GUINEA 0 z 0 by Richard Scag/ion and Rose Whittingham 0 2 ::;; 0°11 Department of Anthropology. University of Pittsburgh. <n I~ o , Cl) Z iQ; I 0 2 , .c' , 134 :r: I- ,." 0 a: ~I ~ o " CHAPTER SEVEN f- "0 0 0 --' RAPE IN HAGEN Z 0 p (:7;' 0 ;!; <n by Andrew Strathern ~ BBn:.iii.t~ 0 Director. Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies. W ~! Cl) Cl) c CHAPTER EIGHT 141 :;) / U RASCALISM, TRADITION AND THE STATE IN ~ PAPUA NEW GUINEA 0 ," 0 Cl) by Marc Shiltz w " Department of Anthropology and Sociology. University of Z >- f- .. ;;: <D ( P Papua New Guinea. z '. , I- :;) I- - 'u ~ ::;; .r-~ <n a: ~ Z .. ::;; .. <D --' 0 '" w U w--,"'~ w " Zw '"Z lL. z~ 0'" 0 CO ~ ~-~.~ ~ Cl) z ~ z () ~i~ ~ 0 Z f- .() I ~1! ;;: '"w I- <t 0 <n ~ Z - Z U W ~ a: a: . <D 0 W " ...J :t • --' '" I-r:~ ..a: (!) a: 0 0 I- Z Z Z W :;= u 0 ~~. :r: > Cl) m ~ I-~ ~~ <t 00 W u Z <n :;) (!) "Z :;= '" W " Z I- <n <t ., :;) '"W CL n. '"w Z v/. <n '"w it. Z a: lL. w I- 0 <n n. w <t ::;; '" INTRODUCTION by Marilyn Strathern Introduction Deliberations on law and order frequently bypass the subject of domestic violence. Conflict between family members is held to be a 'private' matter, something they should sort out themselves. It is a well reported phenomenon in Western countries, for instance, that even when physical assault is brought to their attention police may be reluctant to 'interfere' (as they see it). This applies especially to conflict between spouses, which may be treated as part of their sexual relations in a way that concerns them alone. Similar attitudes appear to be held in Papua New Guinea. Apart from leaving the conduct of people's sex lives alone, Papua New Guinean views also concern the authority which men hold over their wives (and to a much lesser extent, children). Furthermore, traditional assumptions about 'political' behaviour mean that domestic disputes often come to a public forum only if they can be translated into political terms - as involving conflicts of interest between men. The degree to which women can find remedy in today's courts, it follows, will depend on the extent to which such forums are seen to be part of or are separated from male politics. In certain areas it appears that village courts do provide a separate forum to which women can bring complaints, and are used as such. This is a good time at which to take stock of how the courts are thus utilised. In this short paragraph we have moved from domestic violence as such to the issue of how domestic conflict is handled, and to women's access to remedies. The chapters which follow cover all these points. However, it is important not to adopt the easy assumptions that, one, domestic disputes are only to do with women, two, disputes involving women are only about sex, and therefore three, it is sex which leads to domestic violence, either directly or through challenges to male authority. This would perpetuate the view that domestic conflict is ultimately a private matter. Such a view is part of the problem which these chapters investigate; and they show how it is increased rather than diminished by new definitions of the nuclear family and by gteater dependence of spouses on one another. There were many problems in traditional systems, to do with defining appropriate forums for the hearing of .complaints: there was often a divide between the 'political' and the 'domestic' implications of a dispute. In some Papua New Guinean societies women are 3 2 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA INTRODUCTION still at a disadvantage because they do not participate in political life. But they fact that the urban and 'Westernised' context for their relationship fails to suffer a new kind of disadvantage where changing forms of family life place provide the kinds of controls on the husband's behaviour which might have more, not less, stress on the conjugal relationship, in tandem with traditional been expected in rural society.