Global Initiative for Boys & Men

Afghan Boys: The Suffering of the Innocent

It was 2014 when the #BringBackOurGirls campaign captured the world’s attention and focused on 276 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria. The international response was systematic, and the United States (with the help of Michelle Obama, celebrities, and world organizations) garnered financial and organizational support to bring unprecedented attention and action to the plight of girls in war-torn countries. Two years later, a report in the Wall Street Journal addressed the 10,000 kidnapped boys of Boko Haram who were trained in boot camps and prepared for war and other militant action. But for the most part, the reaction was tepid, as boys in war-torn regions remained largely absent from contemporary narratives. There is a negligence on the part of government organizations and non-government organizations to put forward serious policy actions and financial support to recognize boys and men in war-torn countries.