UPM also wants long-distance marriages abolished
Long-distance marriages are not favourable situations for a family unit as they impact entire households negatively, United People’s Movement (UPM) lawmaker Jan van Wyk said.
Lawmakers on Tuesday debated the issue of family separation due to long-distance marriages and the negative impacts they have on the physiological health and financial status of families.
According to Van Wyk, families are essentially the building blocks of every society, therefore challenges that threaten family bonds must be addressed.
Family units serve as the nursery for citizens who become the population of a society, he said.
Mixed emotions
“Whether it is for work, family obligations or other reasons, there may come a time in one’s marriage when you and your spouse have to live separately.”
This separation may have a negative impact on the family, especially the children, Van Wyk said.
He acknowledged that having to relocate for work can be stressful, adding: “When it involves leaving your family behind, it surely is a bittersweet moment. No matter how exited one might be to have a new professional opportunity, moving away from family for a job is never a joyous occasion”.
Both those leaving and those staying behind will experience mixed emotions, Van Wyk said.
Despite the economic realities responsible for long-distance marriages, he stressed the importance of families living together.
Van Wyk added that a parent or caregiver who works away from home will know just how difficult it can be to feel fully connected and involved in children’s lives when not physically there.
“Many families across Namibia struggle emotionally when one or both parents live away from home for work.”
He therefore urged that the Public Service Commission review and amend all regulations that are counterproductive to family values.
Immeasurable harm
Just last month, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) made a similar call to UPM's when Hidipo Hamata implored government to explore innovative policies that will put an end to long-distance marriages.
UPM is in a parliamentary coalition with PDM.
This, Hamata said, is to "safeguard the well-being of spouses and children, and the sanctity of marriage".
The effects long-distance marriages have on children are "profound and devastating", and should be stopped, he said.
"This issue strikes at the core of our society, impacting the economic stability of families, eroding the sacred bonds of marriage and causing immeasurable harm to the innocent children caught in its grasp."
“Moreover, the emotional toll on spouses cannot be underestimated. The constant juggling between different regions or towns, coupled with the emotional challenges of separation, leads to heightened stress and anxiety.”
Hamata did not share - in practical terms - how this reality should be dealt with, except for saying “I implore this honourable house to take decisive action to protect our families”.
Lawmakers on Tuesday debated the issue of family separation due to long-distance marriages and the negative impacts they have on the physiological health and financial status of families.
According to Van Wyk, families are essentially the building blocks of every society, therefore challenges that threaten family bonds must be addressed.
Family units serve as the nursery for citizens who become the population of a society, he said.
Mixed emotions
“Whether it is for work, family obligations or other reasons, there may come a time in one’s marriage when you and your spouse have to live separately.”
This separation may have a negative impact on the family, especially the children, Van Wyk said.
He acknowledged that having to relocate for work can be stressful, adding: “When it involves leaving your family behind, it surely is a bittersweet moment. No matter how exited one might be to have a new professional opportunity, moving away from family for a job is never a joyous occasion”.
Both those leaving and those staying behind will experience mixed emotions, Van Wyk said.
Despite the economic realities responsible for long-distance marriages, he stressed the importance of families living together.
Van Wyk added that a parent or caregiver who works away from home will know just how difficult it can be to feel fully connected and involved in children’s lives when not physically there.
“Many families across Namibia struggle emotionally when one or both parents live away from home for work.”
He therefore urged that the Public Service Commission review and amend all regulations that are counterproductive to family values.
Immeasurable harm
Just last month, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) made a similar call to UPM's when Hidipo Hamata implored government to explore innovative policies that will put an end to long-distance marriages.
UPM is in a parliamentary coalition with PDM.
This, Hamata said, is to "safeguard the well-being of spouses and children, and the sanctity of marriage".
The effects long-distance marriages have on children are "profound and devastating", and should be stopped, he said.
"This issue strikes at the core of our society, impacting the economic stability of families, eroding the sacred bonds of marriage and causing immeasurable harm to the innocent children caught in its grasp."
“Moreover, the emotional toll on spouses cannot be underestimated. The constant juggling between different regions or towns, coupled with the emotional challenges of separation, leads to heightened stress and anxiety.”
Hamata did not share - in practical terms - how this reality should be dealt with, except for saying “I implore this honourable house to take decisive action to protect our families”.
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