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| Source:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nigeria-boko-haram-214-girls-women-rescued-sambisa-forest-visibly-pregnant-1499580 |
It’s Important we are honest and plain about reports
from women reclaimed from Boko Haram’s grasp. It is progress that these women
were rescued, but it is no time for celebration given they are estimated to be
about 10% of those missing. Of the 234 women saved from the stronghold in the
Sambisa forest by the Nigerian coalition, 214 were visibly pregnant. This
confirms speculation that rape as well as forced marriage is an instrumental
tactic of Boko Haram’s. The media’s response, in my opinion, has skimmed over
these atrocities, presenting the problem as a humanitarian one. Whilst it is
undoubtedly a hideous abolition of human rights it is evidently gendered and
gender-based violence is at its core. Much of the overage has centred on lack of
food, sanitation, shelter or privacy and not on the prevalence of sexual
violence. This is a product of the taboo surrounding rape and sexual violence
in the media, whilst many articles make suggestions towards sexual violence,
very few explain just how instrumental and widespread it really is. Of the mainstream
UK news sites including BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Independent,
only the International Business Times revealed the statistics from the UNFPA
about how many women were pregnant.
Equally, many of them do not focus on the needs of
these women now aside from medical attention to cure malnutrition. It is proven
that rape is the most psychologically damaging thing that can happen to anyone,
comprehensive psychological treatment will be needed for these women.
Furthermore, medically they need proper antenatal care and psychological support
for a pregnancy that is a by-product of rape. Beyond medical psychological damage,
there is a significant risk that these women will be ex-communicated from their
communities and families as a result of dishonouring. Social support such as
women only shelters and other gendered solutions are necessary to prevent these
women from falling back into the hands of Boko Haram.
Another significant revelation exposed by the women
telling of their trauma is that Boko Haram’s tactics are explicitly gendered in
that they are killing men and boys in front of their families. Male lives are
worth less to Boko Haram: but why? There is speculation that this is a long
time strategy to impregnate women whose husbands they have killed in order to
reproduce the next generation of soldiers. Whether this is true or not remains
to be seen but the disclosures confirmed by the rescued women clarify that
gender is fundamental to Boko Haram’s methodology and aims. Surely these
confirmations of Boko Haram’s differential treatment of women and men should
stand to challenge conventional combat against Boko Haram and how a gendered
main-streamed solutions are so important.
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