A United Nations official for Nigeria said that restoring the dignity and integrity of returning schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in Chibok is instrumental in reintegrating the girls back into a “safe space” in society.
Some 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants as they attended school on 14 April. Despite efforts by the Nigerian Government and international outcry, most of the girls remain missing, while some who have managed to flee their perpetrators have been raped by lone men they meet on their way home.
In the meantime, UNFPA, along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is preparing for any and all returning girls by setting up clinics and providing health screening for any girls coming back.
Meanwhile, traditional religious leaders are being trained on how they are going to work with their communities to address certain challenges. Programmes are aimed at changing attitudes so that the returning girls are not stigmatized and shunned. Meanwhile the girls have participated in psychosocial programmes.