Introduction

This introductory chapter delves into the uprising that emerged out of the global outcry and humanitarian crisis sparked by the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria, in April 2014 by the militant group Boko Haram. This tragic event underscored broader issues of security, human rights, and gender equality in Nigeria and far beyond. Named ‘Bring Back Our Girls’, the movement quickly gained international attention, fuelled by social media and advocacy campaigns demanding the safe return of the kidnapped girls. The chapter overviews some of the factors that catalysed and facilitated massive outpourings of support for Bring Back Our Girls, including the geopolitical and technological contexts in which it emerged. The chapter also discusses other recent work on the Chibok Girls and Bring Back Our Girls, exploring how this book interfaces with them regarding gaps in knowledge about patterns of ongoing struggles for justice and the protection of vulnerable populations in conflict-affected societies. It further presents outlines of its methodology and critiques of existing scholarship on social movements.