In northeastern Nigeria, the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram has continued to perpetrate violence targeting civilians, including women and girls, since the late 2000s. This violence has affected far more than the right to life and has generated severe consequences for education, social cohesion, and security. In particular, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has become intertwined with the dynamics of the conflict and has amplified the vulnerability of local communities. The issue also represents a critical challenge from the perspective of the international “Women, Peace and Security (WPS) “agenda. This paper examines the structural characteristics and challenges of GBV in Nigeria through two focal cases: the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok and the rise in suicide attacks carried out by women and girls.
Ⅰ The Chibok Schoolgirls Abduction and the Forced Marriage and Sexual Enslavement of Girls
In April 2014, the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, was attacked by armed militants, and 276 female students were abducted. The incident drew global attention through the “#BringBackOurGirls” campaign, yet behind it lay Boko Haram’s entrenched hostility toward female education. As symbolized by the group’s name, which conveys the notion that “Western-style education is sinful”, Boko Haram rejects Western-style schooling and views girls’ education in particular as a driver of social transformation that threatens established gender norms. The abducted girls were subjected to forced marriages and sexual enslavement by Boko Haram members, compelled to bear children, and forced to live in isolation from their communities. These acts constitute a strategy of subjugating entire communities by exerting control over women’s bodies, similar to other forms of conflict-related sexual violence, and represent a quintessential form of gender-based structural violence.
At the time, the author was stationed in Abuja, the capital. The abductions and the frequent suicide attacks heightened public anxiety, and reports of colleagues’ family members and acquaintances falling victim to the violence became increasingly common as the security environment rapidly deteriorated. Restrictions on daily mobility and the psychological stress that accompanied them were severe, even over a short period.
Ⅱ The Forced Use of Women and Girls as Suicide Bombers and Their Transformation into “Perpetrators”
In June 2014, the first suicide bombing carried out by a woman occurred in Gombe State, after which the use of women, including girls as young as approximately twelve, as suicide bombers increased sharply. Between 2014 and 2018, 240 suicide attacks were documented, with 1,469 women and girls used or arrested as perpetrators, and the number of fatalities exceeding 1,200. Notably, more than 90 attacks in 2019 were attributed to women, reflecting a clear trend toward the militarization of women within the armed group.
Many of the girls were abducted and subsequently indoctrinated. Religious concepts such as “martyrdom” and “divine will” were instilled in them, and they were coerced into carrying out acts of violence, including suicide bombings, reconnaissance, and recruitment. They are simultaneously victims and operational “assets” exploited by the armed group. After returning to their communities, they are often stigmatized with labels such as “terrorist’s wife” or “defiled woman” and face rejection from local society. This creates a vicious cycle in which survivors become isolated during reintegration and are placed at heightened risk of returning to Boko Haram.
Ⅲ Three Structural Crises Generated by GBV
GBV in Nigeria is deepening societal fragility in three principal ways.
(1) The Intersection of National Security and Gender
Survivors of sexual violence are often regarded as bearing “shame”, which makes it difficult for women to participate in local mediation and reconstruction processes. GBV therefore extends beyond individual harm and contributes to the destabilization of the state as a whole.
(2) Obstruction of Survivors’ Participation in Peacebuilding
Survivors of sexual violence are often stigmatized as bearers of shame, which makes it difficult for women to participate in local mediation, reconstruction, and broader peacebuilding processes. When support for survivors is inadequate, social exclusion increases the likelihood that they may again be drawn back into armed groups.
(3) Reinforcement of Patriarchy
Conflict conditions tend to reinforce male-dominated social structures, leading to tighter restrictions on women’s mobility, education, and participation in public life. As a result, gender equality regresses and patriarchal norms risk becoming entrenched over the long term.
In this sense, GBV is not merely a pattern of violent acts. It is a structural factor that obstructs the recovery and resilience of local communities.
Ⅳ The National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security and Policy Directions for Addressing GBV
Nigeria formulated its National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security in 2013 and 2017 and released its third NAP at the end of October 2025. Based on the four pillars of the WPS agenda (prevention, protection, participation, and recovery), the following measures are essential for addressing GBV.
(1) Prevention
- Strengthening security measures for girls’ schools and enhancing monitoring systems
- Providing GBV prevention training for security forces
- Promoting gender equality awareness among entire communities, including men
(2) Protection
- Delivering medical, psychological, and legal assistance to survivors of sexual violence
- Implementing reintegration programs for girls subjected to forced marriage or recruited as combatants
- Providing targeted support for vulnerable women, including female-headed households
(3) Participation
- Promoting women’s involvement in mediation committees and the management of internally displaced persons camps
- Developing women leaders within state-level WPS plans
(4) Recovery
- Reconstructing destroyed schools and restoring girls’ access to education
- Rebuilding social structures to correct patriarchal norms that were strengthened during the conflict
- Enhancing women’s economic empowerment through vocational training and microfinance
Ⅴ Conclusion
GBV in northeastern Nigeria extends far beyond violence directed at women and girls. It produces layered and long-term effects, including the loss of educational opportunities, social exclusion, heightened insecurity, and the reinforcement of patriarchal norms. GBV is not a by-product of armed conflict. It is a form of structural violence embedded within Boko Haram’s strategic objectives. Going forward, it is essential to operationalize the WPS framework, grounded in the pillars of “prevention, protection, participation, and recovery”, in a manner that yields tangible results. Only through such efforts can Nigeria address the structural roots of gender inequality and advance the recovery and resilience of affected communities.
(This article is an English translation of a commentary by KAIDA Kiyomi, Associate Professor, Bunkyo Gakuin University. The original Japanese version was published on the JFIR website on November 17, 2025.)