Male Infanticide As A Way Out Of Tribal Feuds

Tribal women in Papua New Guinea seem to have figured a way out of endless internecine feuds – making do with less male children, meaning male infanticide on a mass scale.

Tribal women in Papua New Guinea seem to have figured a way out of endless internecine feuds – making do with less male children and thus checking population growth. And male infanticide on a mass scale was the obvious route for them.Two women from the Eastern Highlands told the PNG’s National newspaper of the slaughter during a three-day peace and reconciliation course in the region’s capital Goroka.

Rona Luke and Kipiyona Belas, each from two warring tribes, said the male infanticide reduces the cyclical pay back violence infamous in Highlands tribal fights.

If women stopped producing males their tribe’s stock would go down and this would force the men to end their fight, they said choking back tears.

"All the women folk agreed to have all babies born killed because they have had enough of men engaging in tribal conflicts and bringing misery to them," Luke said.

The women could not give a figure on how many male babies had been killed in the cull.

Belas said getting food was hard as husbands kept fighting and mothers and children were left to fend for themselves.

The Salvation Army is working with various tribes to bring peace to the warring groups, one particular fight continues after starting in 1986 over sorcery claims.