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If you were to translate “Boko Haram” in the local dialect of Hausa, it would mean "Western education is a sin.” Under the leadership of Muslim cleric Mohammed Yusuf, the terrorist group Boko Haram has caused chaos and fear in Nigeria, while targeting girls and women in their acts of terror. In 2014, the terrorist group kidnapped approximately 276 teenage girls, ranging from the ages of 16 to 18, from a boarding school in Chibok. The kidnapping of these girls sparked international outrage, which prompted the social media campaign, #BringBackOurGirls. The girls were then offered as wives and slaves for men in the terrorist organization. Now these girls, and others captured, are being brainwashed and forced to carry out suicide bombings.
Jason Warner, an assistant professor at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, the United States' elite military academy, came out with a report stating that the use of “women suicide bombers” skyrocketed after the Chibok kidnappings. The report went on to say that “Boko Haram started using women suicide bombers after it realized the potency that gender and youth offer in raising its global profile after the Chibok kidnappings.” In 2017 alone, the group killed 80 women this way. Using children and women alike, the extremist group has “shattered demographic stereotypes as to what a suicide bomber looks like.” "It is the first terrorist group in history to use more women suicide bombers than men, and is at the vanguard of using children as suicide bombers.” says Warner. According to the study, Boko Haram has used four times as many girls as boys, and of those identified, the youngest suicide bomber was only 7 years old.
More complex issues have arisen by additional women voluntarily joining Boko Haram. As the International Crisis group tells us, “With patriarchy, poverty, corruption, early marriage and illiteracy long thwarting their life chances, some women saw an opportunity in Boko Haram to advance their freedoms or reduce their hardship. Many valued the religious and moral anchoring.” The targeting of women and female children as recruits to carry out acts of terror has resulted in mistrust and stigmatization of these groups. Females having nothing to do with terrorist acts are shunned and avoided for the bombs they may be carrying. Consequently, those trying to reintegrate into families and communities are barred. Boko Haram’s acts of terror have left an estimated 35,000 dead over the last six years. The majority of these death tolls have been reported to be "innocent, everyday Nigerians, Cameroonians, Nigerians and Chadians, not government or military personnel.” If the social complexities of the involvement of females in Boko Haram tell us anything, it is that women should be involved in the decision-making and processes that unfold to end the violence and bring families back together.
Evelyn is a second year Political Science student at the University of Toronto. Born and raised in the 6ix, she has a strong passion for human rights, with a particular interest in international relations. Still undecided about her future endeavours, Evelyn's interests are peeked by the fields of law and journalism. In her free time, she enjoys playing team sports, including hockey and lacrosse. Sources Combating Terrorism Centre at West Point via (http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/10/africa/boko-haram-women-children-suicide-bombers/index.html).
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/10/africa/boko-haram-women-children-suicide-bombers/index.html
https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/nigeria/nigeria-women-and-boko-haram-insurgency
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/10/africa/boko-haram-women-children-suicide-bombers/index.html