On 14th April, over 250 girls were abducted from their boarding school in northern Nigeria. Over three weeks later, most are still being held. In this week’s SoroptiVoice blog, Reilly Dempsey, Soroptimist International’s Head of Programme and Advocacy, examines how global awareness and outrage can make a difference and what you can do to add your voice.  

It is time to take action, speak out, and make change.  It is the outspoken international outrage
which has finally pushed the Nigerian government to begin to take concentrated
action.  Foreign governments are stepping
in to push the search and rescue efforts, due largely in part to the fact that
individual citizens worldwide are demanding action.  We must continue pressuring governments now
and into the future. 

Campaigns like this do make a difference.  We all remember Malala.  Her story also sparked international outrage
and placed the issue of safe access to education for girls squarely on the
international agenda.  Her story made a
difference, and continues to do so.

An 11 year old girl at a #bringbackourgirls
protest in Washington, D.C. said: "Boko Haram said Allah told them to take
the girls, but I read about Malala, and she said that is not her Allah."

Words are powerful and change is possible.  Malala herself, commenting on the kidnapping,
has said "if we remain silent then this will spread, this will happen more
and more and more".

Quoted on the Guardian news website, Nigerian journalist Tolu Ogunlesi says the world is paying
attention because of a combination of factors. "You’re talking about
girls, kidnapped by Islamists, and that ties into the Malala story and it’s
easy for people to identify with, which of course, pushed the international
media," he says.

The Nigerian government has been severely criticised for
lack of action.  A team leader from an
organisation working in the north-eastern region of Nigeria shared with The
Guardian: "This is not the first time abductions have happened.  This has been going on for half a decade. Boko
Haram have had radical elements, which grew in prominence – and boldness – over
the past three years, and it has been abducting girls ever since. If you read
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty reports, you’ll read testimonies from young
girls who talk about their ordeals. I’m sure our government knew this has been
happening for years. So my guess is they figured: ‘What’s one more?’ They
probably thought it would blow over."

But it hasn’t just blown over.  And it hasn’t because the world has heard the
story and is outraged.

Be part of the outrage. 
Be outspoken.  Don’t be
silent. 

So what can you do?

1. Pressure government officials.  It’s working. 
   Write, call, email politicians and leaders.  Remember, signing online petitions is good but your individual letter, call or visit is better.  By engaging with representatives over time, you can make sure that these issues are not forgotten when the media spotlight moves on.
2. Spread the word. 
   Write to your local papers. Social
   media is also an amazing outlet – use the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag. Raise awareness with friends and family, and
   don’t forget to target audiences who might not know about the global threat to
   girls’ education. 
3. Plan a protest or march and wear red. There are hundreds of protests
   popping up all over the world.  Get out
   there and take a stand. Spread the word that girls education matters.
4. Keep the momentum going. 
   Although this is an egregious and shocking incident, all over the global
   girls and young women in education are targeted for acts of violence.  Our action, advocacy and awareness raising must continue until every girl can go to school without fear.