Namibian women victims of “quick fix wedding...
Namibian women victims of “quick fix weddingsÀ
Date: January 1, 1970
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The article is about proposed reforms in the Namibia Constitution extending the period in which non À“Namibian nationals married to Namibians citizenship can acquire Namibian citizenship.
This article may be used to:
- demonstrate lack of a gender perspective in reports;
- raise discussions on marital rights;
- demonstrate use of politically incorrect language;
- demonstrate lack of sources;
- raise discussions about gender and migration.
Trainer’s notes
The article centers on Namibian women being victims of marriage of convenience. It states that marriages of convenience leave women traumatised psychologically and socially and warns of the likely abuse of the system through “marriages.”
It does not say anything about Namibian men, making it unclear whether the same laws apply to men who marry non-Namibian nationals and if there are any associated problems. The article comes across as mocking all marriages that involve non–nationals; this is evident in blanket approach that it takes. Reference is made to the wives being “spare wheels.” This not only insulting, but insensitive to marriages built on love. Such stigmatisation can lead to xenophobia.
The use of “‘spare wheels” in reference to the wives implies that these men have other partners elsewhere, most likely in their home countries. If the article’s assertion is true then the article misses an opportunity to teach readers about HIV/AIDS. Though the article is largely negative towards marriages involving non-Namibian nationals, it highlights the extent to which these marriages hurt the women. The use of the term “hookers” is degrading. It encourages stigmatisation of people in the sex industry and equates the practice of marriage of conveniences to sex work, the insinuation that both are unacceptable. It is unclear if the article is referring to the men or women involved is “hookers.” It is however noteworthy that one of the ministers in the House cautions against the framing of people who come to Namibia to work as “hookers.”
The article also misses an opportunity to question the reasons why women still enter into such marriages, given the above scenario. It might be a reflection that the state fails to provide adequately for its citizens thus leaving most women with no choice but to enter into such arrangements especially considering that some of them come with material gain. Furthermore, it could be a reflection on the countries’ migration laws, which are strict making it difficult for most people wanting to work in Namibia to obtain work permits, thus resorting to marriage of convenience.
Such irresponsible labelling of a group of people especially non-nationals can give birth to social ills such as xenophobia. In May 2008, South Africa witnessed widespread xenophobia, with many men saying they were upset, among other tings, of foreigners “stealing their women.” The framing of non-nationals as a threat also obscures the likely gains of migrations such as skills development.
The article fails to source even a single person involved in this kind of relationship to offer their views.
Discussion Questions
- What rights should non-nationals married to nationals have?
- Ask participants to discuss the likely reasons why people enter into marriages of convenience.
- Discuss the terminology used – spare wheels and hookers – regardless of the topic at hand, should this language be used in Parliament or a newspaper?
- What messages are in this article that could lead to xenophobia?
Training Exercises
- Profile a couple where a national is married to a non-national. What would such legislative changes mean for their families?
- Visit Home Affairs to investigate people’s experiences with the department.
- Investigate other aspect of marital laws. Would stronger laws guaranteeing gender equality impact on marriages of convenience?
- Read “A tale of Two Countries” below for another perspective on mixed marriages.
Other training resources
SADC Gender and Development Protocol Campaign
Related GL Commentaries
Download : Quick fix weddings TheNamibian
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