Women and girls throughout the world continue to experience violence, discrimination, inequality, and poverty. In Nigeria, patriarchal structures and gender inequalities are deeply rooted. Nigerian women face challenges when acquiring formal education, full participation in political and economic life, and are exposed to increasing rates of violence such as prostitution, forced marriage, and trafficking. Moreover, current social and political circumstances in Nigeria forcibly put women in an even more vulnerable state.
Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group, has attacked Nigeria’s police and army, politicians, schools, religious buildings, public institutions, and civilians with increasing regularity since 2009. More than ten thousand people have been killed in Boko Haram-related violence, and 1.5 million have been displaced. In April 2014, Boko Haram drew international condemnation and attention by abducting more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok town in Borno state. In addition, the increased number of Boko Haram attacks caused the unprecedented rise in internally displaced people (IDP) in Nigeria, estimating 1,235,300 people who were forced to flee their homes, as of February 2015. The vast majority of IDP are women and children, and they repeatedly face a range of threats to their physical safety and restrictions on their freedom of movement. Such political and social conflicts in the state place Nigerian women and girl in crisis, therefore, their position and fundamental rights in Nigeria require critical attention.
Around the world, there are efforts to raise international awareness in the incidents of Boko Haram and overall issues of Nigerian women. What follows is a list of 20 pertinent foundations that support women’s issues in Nigeria and globally.
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