#BringBackOurGirls

Why does the world not care about girls?  I have been so saddened, sickened, concerned, disgusted, with the kidnapping of a school of girls in Nigeria.  I have read many online articles, but I'm shocked by how even reputable news sites don't have the facts.  I have read there are 190 kidnapped girls, 234 kidnaped girls, 276 kidnapped girls.  I have read they were kidnaped on March 14th, April 16th, and April 21st.  It's as if we are saying, the girls aren't even important for us to get the facts right, let alone get real media attention.

The Nigerian government has done nothing as these girls have been sold into "marriage," read slavery, read raped, for $12 each.  A Nigerian Islamist Militant group is taking credit for this terrorist act, but meanwhile, activist Naomi Mutah is being arrested for leading the campaign #BringBackOurGirls and Nigeria's first lady had ordered women to stop protesting.

I've always been interested in human rights and women rights.  I studied international politics in college, because I thought I could make a difference in this world globally, and never have I felt that need more than now, as a mother of a girl.  What if it was my baby girl?  Some people may think a country thousands of miles away has no effect on my daughter, but I want her to know girls matter.  I want her to grow up in a world that values girls. I want her to know her life, and that of girls around the world, is worth something.  The world needs to stand up and show all girls, they are worth more than $12, their lives, their rights, their bodies, their happiness, their freedom is priceless!

What can you do? Let's show First Lady Jonathan that, we will NEVER stop fighting for our girls.  You can sign the White House Petition and you can sign the Change.org Petition.  Even if media has been slow to cover this, you can spread the word.  That's the beauty of social media.  Use the hash tag #BringBackOurGirls.  Blog about it. Talk about it. Be outraged about it. If you are in Chicago, you can rally in solidarity on Saturday May 10th in Daley Plaza.  If you aren't in Chicago, there will be a rally in your area.  You can find them by doing a simple search of the #BringBackOurGirls and your city.

#BringBackOurGirls, because they are all our daughters!