#BringBackOurGirlsChicago #BringBackOurGirls

Last week I wrote about my outrage regarding the kidnapped girls in Nigeria. Over the weekend my daughter and I joined the #BringBackOurGirlsChicago march.  It was important to me to take my daughter to stand up for girls who have no voice.

My Baby Girl's first Rally/March

A few things stand out about this weekend.  First, after attending this march, I was watching the HBO show Vice.  There was an episode on The Pink Gang in India.  It is a group of women who have joined together in order to protect each other, because of a legal system that fails women.  Men who rape women are nearly never prosecuted and there is such deep corruption in the system women are scared to press charges against their attackers.  I couldn't help to think how lucky my daughter and I are to be in this country.  We can have the right to not only stand up for ourselves, but also to the injustices that are happening across the world.

Family, Friends, Sisters

Second, I was struck about how fortunate my daughter is to have so many women in her life that are an example of strong and caring women.  It is their efforts that will make my daughter's life easier.  It is their love that will foster her.  I am so glad she will grow up knowing the value of sisterhood.  She will know whether the girl lives next door or thousands of miles away, they are her sisters in life!

Third, I hope I will teach my daughter the value of her rights, to fight to keep her rights and to fight for the rights of others.  Why were those girls such a threat to Boko Haram? They were getting educated.  I hope my daughter values her education.  I hope that her education will come a little easier than mine or even her fathers, but I hope no matter what she appreciates it.  I hope she knows that the more she reads and the more she learns the more powerful she becomes.  I hope she will share this gift of learning with others.

Meanwhile, there are still hundreds of girls being held captive in Nigeria.  We will not forget about them.  We will not let this go.  Every time I see my daughter's smiling face, I will think of them.  Every time I think of the opportunities she will have, I will think of those girls.  We will not rest until we #BringBackOurGirls!

GIRLS RULE
#BringBackOurGirls