Event Today to Bring Back Our Girls

Correspondent from BBC gave an update about the status of the girls.  He did mention that kidnappings have been happening for several years, but it has not been given international attention. President of Nigeria has been slow to act or make statements.

Northern Nigeria has only 3% of girls going to University.  Unusual for parents to make decision to keep girls in school and go on to University. High percentage of women die in childbirth 650 of 100,000 die in childbirth.  Impacts these families but also other families and whether they will send their children, especially girls to school.  Boys sent to study under clerics become the men in the militant groups, not taught in western education themselves.  Radicals are imposing their ideas through violence since the mainstream culture does not approve of this or back their thinking.

Gretel from A World at School, said it has taken 3 weeks to get this amount of interest internationally.  Social media has been one way that news of this has become more known. Getting the media attention has worked through the various digital advocay efforts.  Partnering among organizations has given stronger position to those attending Nigerian event to ask President for more to be done.

Meredith at Smart Girls gave advice for what we can do locally. Show that we care as a unified voice, sign a petition, write elected politicians, changing avatar on-line.  Protests happening in various cities around US have helped the Nigerians that are protesting to give more pressure to their government.  Plannig rallies is a great way to participate.

“World is agitating along with us” – from Hafsat, Nigerian source.

Tara from Girl Rising  shared that they have develpoed an action pack  with ways we can contribute.  Individual acts make a difference.  Continue to share the story and keep visibility high.  Raise awareness. Change.org has petition and they want 1 million signatures to give to Nigerian President. https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/over-200-girls-are-missing-in-nigeria-please-help-find-them-bringbackourgirls

Contributions to organizations like Catapult crowdsourcing funding for education issues in Nigeria.http://www.catapult.org/project/bring-back-our-girls

Comments can be made at this phone number at the White House 1-202-456-1111

You can text BRINGBACK to 50555 to donate $10 to girls education in Nigeria and worldwide

Importance of education for young women has an impact and is why these militants are acting against it.  Women who are educated improve the community and reinvest their earnings back into their communities. Huge potential is lost when girls are not allowed to be educated

Holly Gordon quote, “When you educate girls, you lift the fortunes of her family and her community and her country. Including the fortunes of boys and men! We need the strong men in communities to support girls – their mothers and their daughters. ”

“Nigerian government has ignored the needs of women and girls in the past and this attention has changed that, so it has already made a difference”, Hafsat from Nigeria. We need to keep this issue on social media and bring back our girls!

 

 

 

Bring Back Our Girls

Bring Back Our Girls

We need your help! You may have seen news reports that on April 15th, dozens of gunmen stormed a Nigerian school and abducted more than 200 girls who were asleep in their dormitories. On Tuesday it will be three weeks, and they are still missing.  Time is of the essence. We’re working hard to raise global visibility about this terrible situation, and you can help.

BringBackOurGirls_Placard

This Tuesday – May 6 at 12pm EST – Girl Rising and Amy Poehler’s  Smart Girls initiative will co-host a Call to Action Google hangout, and we want you to be there. Please take part in this meeting of experts, organizers and passionate global citizens.  We’ll be discussing what’s happening and what we can all do to help – and we’ll share an “action pack” of tools so anyone can raise visibility about the unfolding situation and help build the momentum needed to get these girls home.

 

Details:

Tuesday, May 6 at 12pm EST/9am PST

Google hangout – Click here to RSVP and tune in.