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Nigerian abducted schoolgirls must not be forgotten

10 July, 2014IndustriALL’s Executive Committee has adopted a resolution calling on the Nigerian government to do everything in its power to return more than 200 abducted schoolgirls to safety.

Militant Islamic group, Boko Haram, seized 270 girls from their school in the north-eastern Nigerian state of Borno almost three months ago. While some girls have managed to escape, more than 200 remain captured.

The resolution, passed in June at IndustriALL’s Executive Committee meeting in Geneva, calls on the Nigerian government and girls’ captors to speedily ensure that all the girls are safely returned to their homes, unharmed.

Boko Haram has threatened to sell the girls as slaves or marry them off as child brides unless the government releases all imprisoned militants. 

The resolution, put forward by IndustriALL’s Women’s Committee, underlines that the girl-child suffers most in conflicts around the world and urges the Nigerian government to take measures to prevent further abductions from occurring.  

The Executive Committee pledged its solidarity with the girls, their parents and their communities.

IndustriALL has also written to Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva to convey the demands to the government.

Resolution on Nigeria and the schoolgirls captured by Boko Haram

Noting that women and children all over the world are the worst victims of economic, social, political, cultural and religion inspired violence;

Recognizing that the girl-child suffers the most in conflict situations around the world;

Fully committed to and supportive of the global call for the release of the more than 270 girls captured in north-east Nigeria on 14th April 2014, we the delegates to this IndustriALL Conference call upon the Nigerian government and the captors of the girls to speedily ensure that the girls are all safely returned to their homes, unharmed.

We pledge our solidarity with the girls, their parents and their communities.

We furthermore demand that measures be taken to prevent further abductions from happening.

25th June 2014

(Resolution sponsored by Women committee.)