As the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on Friday, one young Nigerian woman symbolizes a crisis that continues largely out of sight. Eight years after her abduction by Islamic State militants, Leah Sharibu remains in captivity, one of thousands of women and girls vulnerable to abduction, forced marriage, sexual violence, and coercion by extremist groups operating across Nigeria.The crisis has escalated so dramatically, especially for Christian women and girls, that United Nations experts issued an urgent warning this month.“Christian women and girls are exposed to heightened risks of discrimination, violence and exploitation,” they said. “We continue to document cases of sexual violence, abductions, acts tantamount to enforced disappearances, forced conversion and child marriage.”
Like countless 14-year-old girls around the world, Sharibu left for school focused on classes, friends, and the future ahead of her. She never returned home.
NIGERIA KIDNAPPINGS: THE WORLD’S SELECTIVE MORAL OUTRAGE
Sharibu was kidnapped along with 109 other girls when the Islamic State West Africa Province attacked her school in Yobe State, Nigeria. Most of the other girls were eventually released, though some died in captivity or escaped. According to reports from her classmates, Sharibu was denied freedom because she refused to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam.
