The plight of girls in northern Nigeria is a recurring issue that continues to linger. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign, which began in 2014, was a clarion call to the world about the desperate situation these girls face.
The campaign was a response to the kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has terrorized the region for years. The girls were taken from their school in Chibok, a small town in Borno State, in the dead of the night. The kidnapping sent shock waves throughout the world and sparked outrage among Nigerians. The plight of girls in northern Nigeria goes beyond just the kidnapping of the Chibok girls. They face immense challenges in accessing education, healthcare, and basic human rights. They are often forced into early marriages, suffer sexual violence, and are denied equal opportunities in life.
The #BringBackOurGirls movement was a powerful statement of solidarity with these girls and a call to action for the government to do more to protect them. It brought attention to the ongoing crisis in northern Nigeria and galvanized people all over the world to demand the safe return of the kidnapped girls. Unfortunately, to this day, 9years after, the girls have not been returned. Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer