Page 34 - Marie Claire Australia (January 2020)

NIGERIA

BRIDE OF BOKO

Salma*, 21, was abducted by jihadist
group Boko Haram at 16 and held
captive for four years. Last year she
managed to escape and is slowly
rebuilding her life in north-east
Nigeria with support from Plan
International. Here, she tells her story.

“When Boko Haram first came to my
home town in Borno, I fled with some
other girls. We met a woman who
allowed us to sleep in her house and Salma and her baby
share her food in exchange for boy. BELOW With her
female support group.
help with her business (selling
food on the street). But then Boko
Haram came to that town as well.
“They killed four of the girls I
was with and forced one to
become a suicide bomber. She
died. They tie a bomb around
your waist and monitor you until “THEY TIE A BOMB
you enter the area where they AROUND YOUR WAIST
want the bomb to explode. Then AND MONITOR YOU
they disappear. UNTIL THEY WANT THE
“They said that [the rest BOMB TO EXPLODE”
of us] would be servant girls
for their wives in the bush. Any of – Salma
us who said no, they would cut off
that person’s ear and hair and
make them a complete slave. successful. I was pregnant at the time siblings and aunties have been very
“But in reality I was forced and we started the journey about 11pm helpful. And my mum is here, too.
to get married – and I had a baby, and reached a local town – where we “I’ve set up a support group for
a boy, as a result of that marriage. asked the soldiers for some help – other girls like me. We don’t want to be
“If you ever tried to escape, they at 10am. There were nine of us who defined by what’s happened to us. We
would give you 100 strokes of the cane escaped that night, a mixture of ages. want a future for us and our children.”
the first time, 80 strokes the second “When I first got home I thought I Plan International Australia
time and then the next time they was going to be stigmatised because of is working to free girls around the
would kill you. On my first attempt, where I had been, but it hasn’t been like world from child marriage. Donate
I was caught. But on my second, I was that at all. Everyone has been kind – my to their cause at plan.org.au

U SA
MONUMENTAL WOMEN

Of the 8.6 million residents of three pioneers of women’s rights:
New York City, more than half Susan B Anthony, Elizabeth Cady
are women. Yet wander the Stanton and Sojourner Truth (left).
winding green pathways of “This statue conveys the
Central Park and you’ll count power of women working
23 statues of men, and not a together to bring about
single one honouring a female revolutionary change in our
– until now. Following a city society,” said activist Pam Elam.
commission vote, a statue by And the rest of the USA might
artist Meredith Bergmann will be want to follow suit: it’s estimated
erected in the Manhattan hotspot. there are fewer than 400 public
Rendered in bronze, it depicts statues of women nationwide.

34 | marieclaire.com.au