One of the things that Lawal Taiwo (not real name) had to do when she reported at the camp for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos State was to go for a pregnancy test. Ms. Taiwo, said the exercise, which is mandatory for female youth corps members, was characterised by coercion and neglect, especially as the test was process was conducted in the open.
"They (male corps members) had the opportunity to easily take a peep at all us undressing as the registration process was taking place in a hall right in front of the make-shift shed and all young ladies were forced to squat and urinate into small bottles," she said.
"Before being allowed to start the registration process, all females were requested to line up behind the lecture hall (in which the registration process was going on). I started queuing at about 8am but was unable to urinate due to the unhygienic and inadequate sanitary conditions. What awaited all females were three holes dug into the ground, merely covered up from one side by dirty mattresses." The National Youth Service Corps scheme, which was established in 1971 to unify Nigeria after the civil war, has run into several controversies. One of the more recent ones is the rule for conducting pregnancy test for female participants.
Anyone who refuse to go for the compulsory test or is found pregnant in the course of the test is summarily sent out of the camp.
Another female participant at the Lagos State camp, who spoke under anonymity, said the experience was the first time she had a pregnancy test.
"I have never taken a pregnancy test in my life and the memory of it will stay stuck in my mind forever," she said. "The test was conducted in such a disgusting condition. When a woman takes a pregnancy test, she should be able to do it in the privacy of her home,or in a decent clinic. Not in a field behind a campsite."
The tests were conducted all day.
They started the pregnancy tests early in the morning and would end each evening once registration was closed for the day. We would line up in the sun, just for the test," another lady who just passed out of the camp, Joyce Nweze said.
Joyce Madaki, the spokesperson for the Lagos State NYSC confirmed the test, but said she could not speak on it except with the directive of the state coordinator of the scheme.
"I will have to talk to the state director and if he asked me to grant an interview, then I will and if he said I shouldn't I will let you know, but just note I am not permitted to talk to the press on my own," she said.
Policy against women?
But women activists are not amused at this practice. The Executive Director of Project Alert, a group promoting rights of women, Joshepine Chukwuma said any test that is gender based is wrong.
"If pregnancy tests are conducted for women, then what would they now conduct for men? Such test were supposed to be conducted at one's will and not be forced and not under an unconducive environment." Anns Ajayi, a secondary school principal and self-proclaimed gender rights activist in Osun State said that, "It is all trash. Tell me what women have done again? I think the present NYSC director General should cover his face in shame and just resign. This has never been mentioned in the scheme and it was not part of the law that established it." Ms Taiwo, whose test came out negative, said she would not have participated in the process if not for the need to serve her fatherland.
"Though I understand pregnant women and especially nursing mothers not being allowed to serve during this period, I do not find it appropriate to force all prospective female corps members to be treated like animals, to have to pee on command and be harassed by NYSC officials," she said.
Missunderstood requirement
Going by Decree 24 of 1993, the requirement for participating in the scheme do not include any special gender test but a general medical test that was expected to be carried out by the participants's school or a military hospital.
A Millenium Development Goals instructor at one of the orientation camps, Felix Akinmejiwa said the tests were introduced for good reasons.
"The tests are necessary, not just the pregnancy test, but it matters the way it is conducted. I find it hard to believe that Lagos camp could have conducted theirs in such a dirty environment, I think there should be an investigation into this," he said.
"The truth still remains that some corps members lied about their status, and what they don't know is that it is all for their good. How would someone be pregnant and still be climbing ropes? I mean all their Para-military training? It is for their good."
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