Boko Haram is a militant group that has continued to terrorize the Nigerian society with brutal force since 2009. It claims to have been born as an armed revolt against corruption in politics, unjust law enforcement and expansion in economic inequality. However, in reality, its primary goal is to establish an Islamic state that adopts Sharia law by means of terror with negligible interests in economic development. Their theology is fundamentalist Wahhabi, which largely opposes the tolerant religion of Islam in the North. The installation of Sharia principles throughout Nigeria have led to crippling human rights violations, particularly against women as the structure of the law encourages female subordination, purely Islamic education and strict social discipline.
Boko Haram loosely translates to “Western Education is sin”. Malala Yousafzai, an educational activist who survived an attack by the Taliban, said, “the power of education frightens them, the power of the voice of women frightens them, [and therefore by suppressing education and the voice of women they are] misusing the name of Islam [to justify violations of human rights] for their own personal benefits”.
Emancipated women are seen as symbols of Westernization, a concept this group views with hostility. By threatening women’s security, Boko Haram has instilled fear among community members towards educated women.
The abduction of 300 schoolgirls in Chibok in April 2014 is one example that highlights these principles. By targeting educated women and holding them captive, Boko Haram was able to create an inhospitable environment for female students. According to Amartya San, education is a freedom from which further opportunities arise. Therefore, by removing the possibility for education, Boko Haram is effectively seeking to deter the development of women.
Through these acts of terror, schools in the area have closed down, leaving ten million students, mostly female, without any means by which to secure an education. Unable to learn and ultimately to support themselves, these girls will be married off in their teens. Scholarly studies have indicated that removing the possibility for education from females in Africa invariably leads to increased rates of HIV/AIDS and a higher infant mortality rate. Many of the schools that have closed down have been due to teacher absenteeism and fear throughout the population, leading to the displacement of students who are then forced to live in camps without schools.
Since 2014, Amnesty International has reported that over 2 000 females have been abducted by Boko Haram. Many of them are married off and impregnated by members of the organization and subsequently forced to join Boko Haram as fighters. Fatima Usman, a female high school student abducted by Boko Haram, said that she married into the group for reasons of self-preservation because “unmarried women were frequently raped by Boko Haram members”. After being coerced by Boko Haram, these women have been seen to carry out suicide attacks. A ten year- old female affiliated with Boko Haram detonated a bomb strapped to her body in a marketplace in September 2015.
Responding to these human rights atrocities effectively requires regional and international cooperation. The priority must be to reintegrate the internally displaced and the captives living in Boko Haram camps back into society. Medical and psychological care should become the priority as well as ensuring that women’s rights are protected throughout the process. The international community is advised to provide both military and technical expertise in order to proactively counteract the organization that brings crippling uncertainty to women in Nigeria on a daily basis.
