By Mina Alemzadeh | Associate, Organizational Advancement
On April 14, 234 girls between ages 16 and 18 were abducted from their school in Northern Nigeria by the Islamist armed group, Boko Haram.
With the support of donors like you, Women Thrive took immediate action with our partner Ojonwa Deborah Miachi—a passionate girls' education activist in Nigeria. Women Thrive posted Ojonwa's petition to Secretary of State Kerry and Nigeria's Inspector General and National Police on TakePart (https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/demand-action-for-abducted-schoolgirls) that demanded action to bring the girls safely home, bring the perpetrators to justice, and increase measures to protect girls and boys in school so that something like this will never happen again.
Within a few days, Women Thrive's activists sent over 32,000 messages to the U.S. State Department. On May 2, Women Thrive's President, Ritu Sharma, spoke on To The Contrary to talk about the developing events in Nigeria as well as the the issue of violence against women and girls globally writ large.
Thanks in part to the attention and noise we've helped generate on this issue, Secretary of State John Kerry has condemned the actions of Boko Haram, and committed U.S. support in the search for the abducted schoolgirls: “We will do everything possible to support the Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes and hold the perpetrators to justice.”
Thank you for your support, but our work is not done. Just today our Senior Vice President, Lauren Supina released a statement on the latest Nigerian abduction, demanding a response from the U.S., Nigeria and the international community.
As long as women and girls live in fear of physical harm or sexual assault, Women Thrive will continue to push forward policies—like the International Violence Against Women Act and the Women, Peace and Security Act—that work toward ending violence against women and girls.
Please continue to stand with us in these efforts. Today is a Global Giving MATCH Day—the perfect time to make your money optimally count. TODAY ONLY, Global Giving will match 30% in funds for each donation given. This potential increase in funds allows Women Thrive to expand our outreach efforts to officials in the U.S. as well as maintain our grassroots network of organizations that we work with on a personal level.
Thank you for committing to protect women and girls worldwide. Together, we can make a difference. We appreciate your belief in our work, and we are grateful for your support.
Warm Regards,
Mina Alemzadeh
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