It’s been over two weeks since gunmen stormed into the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Nigeria and kidnapped 300 girls between the ages of 9 and 15 years old. Just recently, Al Jazeera has reported that an additional eight girls have been kidnapped by terrorist group embers of Boko Haram.
Boko Haram’s leader, Abubaker Shekau, has criticized the teachings of western culture to the girls and cites that as the primary reason for the attack, also warning of more abductions to come. What is perhaps most disturbing about these kidnappings are the evil plans that Boko Haram has for the girls. Abubaker Shekau stated in a video released Monday, that the girls will be sold for marriage “in the marketplace.” The terrorist leader was cited as reasoning the evil act with “God has commanded me to sell”.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is working with the UN to rescue the girls and bring their kidnappers to justice. Another group that is taking a stand against this kind of evil is Girl Rising. Simply put, Girl Rising is a global campaign for girls’ education that aims to “unite girls, women, boys and men who believe every girl has the right to go to school and the right to reach her full potential.”
Girl Rising has teamed up with Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls to help spread awareness about this tragedy and bring these girls back home to their families. One of the most important tools to help stop this injustice is to spread the word about it and Girl Rising is encouraging people to do so through three ways: Share, Sign and Socialize.
Share: “Girl Rising has created this image to demonstrate our solidarity with the kidnapped schoolgirls. We encourage all of our supporters to share it far and wide. Make it your avatar across social media channels, and share it with your friends and family.”
Download more social media assets here.
Sign: “We are joining The Office of the UN’s Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, in his call to global leaders to TAKE ACTION. By signing this petition, you declare your solidarity with the kidnapped girls, call upon the world not to forget them and support all efforts to ensure their safe return.”
Sign the petition here.
Socialize: You can keep up with the development of the story and Girl Rising’s efforts to ensure ALL girls across the globe receive the education and equal rights they deserve as human beings through Girl Risings social media accounts. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
This tragedy might be a world away from where you live, but a similar situation could easily happen to somebody you love. We’re all on this planet together, so watch out for one another. #BringBackOurGirls