|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Summary
Many Nigerians on social media are protesting the new NYSC rule stipulating that married women must change their names before applying for concessional posting, amongst other sexist requirements.
Nigerians on X have heavily condemned the new requirements stipulated by Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) body targeted at female corps members. The agency required that married ones who want to apply for concessional posting based on married grounds must upload a newspaper change of name, among other requirements.
“This is for Married Female Prospective Corps Members who want to be posted to their husband’s State of domicile. Such Prospective Corps Members should login to their dashboard and upload the following documents during online registration: copies of her marriage certificate, evidence of change of name and husband’s place of domicile during registration, husband’s means of Identification including driving license, National ID card,” the agency stipulates.
NYSC further posted highlights of the assertion on their X page on Nov. 15, 2024.
As of Nov. 20, 2024, NYSC’s post on X has garnered over 370k views and 403 engagements. Nigerians condemn the requirements, stating that it is condescending and discriminatory.
“See what Nigerian women are up against,” @Nimi_Oke said. “Letter of place of domicile from husband like you are a property? This country is not going to make it, I fear.”
“Honestly, I personally would challenge No. 1 and II in court because not all married women are permitted to change their names to their husbands, and also, in Islam, issuance of the Marriage certificate is not necessary for a valid marriage. These are conflicts of laws here,” Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer Uthman Isa Tochukwu, Esq. said.
The agency further stipulates rules for married women wanting to relocate to their husbands’ states of residence.
“Note that those who want to relocate from their current state of deployment to their husband’s State of domicile should submit an application with the following documents attached: Marriage Certificate; Newspaper publication for change of Name; Letter from Husband Employer and Husband means of Identification,” NYSC states.
Pointing out that no such policy was made for men, an X user @Lefemariey, said,
“My own is, why does NYSC not extend this to married male PCMs? Why is it only the women that get to serve where their husbands are living, but the men do not get to serve where their wives are living?”
@aziliThisBee also reacted, “When I served, someone asked what of married men who want to be posted to where their wives are. NYSC official laughed that why would a man go to where his wife is when she’s supposed to follow him to wherever he’s serving? I just came to say you people are mad.”
“State-sanctioned misogyny. So blatant and shameless. But ‘feminism is no longer needed’ right?
Change of name? Husband’s domicile?” @Ehneskay_Tim commented.
The NYSC laws have further led to the critique on how women marrying men is disadvantageous to them.
“I’ve said it, and it’s shown countless times how marriage is not an institution for women. It’s an insane change and continuous demand. Why should women go through all this stress just because they decided to get married to a man?” @yusuf_rodiat quote tweeted.
Policies like this continue to highlight the patriarchal nature of Nigeria, as only women are expected to make these changes to function as members of the society. It further exemplifies the broad gap in gender equality in the country.
Naija Feminists Media tried to contact NYSC via the number on their website for comments but none were reachable at the point of contact.
