Nigeria: Women and Girls Kidnapped by Boko Haram Shunned by Their Communities
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 1:30 PM

Hundreds of women and girls kidnapped, raped and tortured by the Nigerian militant group, Boko Haram, have found it difficult to return to their villages after escaping their captors. Many of the women and girls were forced to marry the militants and many are pregnant. The women now face accusations that they willingly married or served their kidnappers and are “stigmatised due to their perceived association with Boko Haram.” Some pregnant women have received death threats. The Nigerian government has provided assistance to the returned women and girls, but stigma, shame and social isolation leave many women without community support.

Compiled from: Abdul’Aziz, Ibrahim, Freedom brings stigma and fresh fears for Boko Haram ‘wives’, IRIN News (September 1, 2015).