A Senate Resolution calling for immediate action to locate and safely return the young women abducted in Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

Whereas, Known terrorist group Boko Haram abducted at least 276 female students, most of them between 15 and 18 years old, on April 14, 2014, from the Government Girls Secondary School, a boarding school located in the northeastern province of Borno in the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and

Whereas, All public secondary schools in Borno state were closed in March 2014 because of increasing attacks that killed hundreds of students, but the young women at the Government Girls Secondary School returned to take their final exams; and

Whereas, The militants burned down several buildings before they opened fire on soldiers and police who were guarding the school and forced the students into trucks, with only some students successfully escaping their captors; and

Whereas, Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram's leader, claimed responsibility for the militant group's abduction and declared his plan to sell the kidnapped girls in a video recording; and

Whereas, The United States Department of State designated Boko Haram, which loosely translates to meaning "western education is sin," as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013, recognizing the threat posed by the group's large-scale and indiscriminate attacks against women and children; and

Whereas, Boko Haram is philosophically opposed to the education of females, and has kidnapped women and children, forced girls to serve as cooks and sex slaves, bombed churches and mosques, and assassinated politicians and religious leaders; and

Whereas, The Nigerian police indicated that the number of kidnapped school girls has risen, and an exact number has not been confirmed because many of the girls are from surrounding villages and the militants burned down the school and all of its student records; and

Whereas, On May 5, 2014, suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped an additional eight girls, ranging in age from 12 to 15, from a northeastern village in Nigeria; and

Whereas, The young women abducted by Boko Haram are likely to be physically and sexually abused, raped by their captors, dispersed throughout the continent, traded or sold for money, and forced to become child brides of Boko Haram fighters or prostitutes exposed to brutality and disease; and

Whereas, Abducted children have been forced to serve as human shields in similar hostile situations; and

Whereas, This mass abduction is one of the most extreme examples of students and schools being attacked by a terrorist group, with the threat of abduction effectively halting education in certain areas, including the northern region of Nigeria where thousands of school students have recently ceased attending school out of fear of abduction; and

Whereas, Senate Resolution No. 433, introduced on May 1, 2014 by Senator Landrieu along with 27 other co-sponsors, condemns the abduction of female students by armed militants from the Government Girls Secondary School in the northeastern province of Borno in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the United States Senate passed the resolution on May 6, 2014; and

Whereas, Representative Wilson sponsored, and 60 members of the United States House of Representatives co-sponsored, House Resolution No. 573, which was introduced on May 6, 2014 and condemns the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and

Whereas, Advancement of women's human rights around the world is a foreign policy priority of the United States, and the enrollment, retention, and completion of education for girls in Nigeria remains a major challenge; and

Whereas, New Jersey has a long and unwavering history of opposing human trafficking, and the reprehensible actions of Boko Haram necessitate a reaffirmed commitment to speaking out against all kinds of human trafficking; and

Whereas, On behalf of the citizens of the State of New Jersey and in the public interest of supporting the greater societal good, it is imperative to call for the immediate and safe return of the young women abducted in Nigeria by Boko Haram, and New Jersey, the United States of America, and other democratic nations around the world, are unified in supporting the rescue of the school girls abducted by Boko Haram; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House urgently calls for the immediate and safe return of the young women abducted in Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

2. Further, this House:

a. expresses its strong support for the people of Nigeria, especially the parents and families of the young women abducted by Boko Haram;

b. recognizes that every individual, regardless of gender, should have the opportunity to pursue an education without fear of discrimination or violence, and encourages the government of Nigeria to strengthen efforts to protect the ability of children to safely obtain an education;

c. fervently supports offers of United States assistance to the government of Nigeria in the search for these abducted young women, and encourages the government of Nigeria to work with the United States and other concerned governments to resolve this tragic situation and ensure the safe and swift rescue of the young women; and

d. encourages the United States Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development to continue their support of initiatives that promote and protect the human rights, safety, and welfare of women and girls in Nigeria.

3. This House additionally calls upon other local government entities to vocalize support for the rescue of the young women abducted in Nigeria by Boko Haram, and urges the governing body of each county and municipal government in the State to pass a resolution calling for the immediate and safe return of those abducted.

4. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States of America, the Secretary of State of the United States Department of State, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States House of Representatives, every member of Congress elected from this State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, the Secretary of State of the New Jersey Department of State, the New Jersey League of Municipalities, and the New Jersey Association of Counties.

STATEMENT

This resolution calls for the immediate and safe return of the young women abducted in Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The resolution also urges all county and municipal governments in the State to pass a resolution calling for the immediate and safe return of the young women abducted in Nigeria by Boko Haram.

Further, the resolution:

(1) expresses strong support for the people of Nigeria, especially the parents and families of the young women abducted by Boko Haram;

(2) recognizes that every individual, regardless of gender, should have the opportunity to pursue an education without fear of discrimination or violence, and encourages the government of Nigeria to strengthen efforts to protect the ability of children to safely obtain an education;

(3) supports offers of United States assistance to the government of Nigeria in the search for these abducted young women, and encourages the government of Nigeria to work with the United States and other governments to ensure the safe and swift rescue of the young women; and

(4) encourages the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to continue their support of initiatives that promote and protect the human rights, safety, and welfare of women and girls in Nigeria.

Known terrorist group Boko Haram abducted at least 276 female students, most of them between 15 and 18 years old, on April 14, 2014, from the Government Girls Secondary School, a boarding school located in the northeastern province of Borno in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On May 5, 2014, suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped an additional eight girls, ranging in age from 12 to 15, from a northeastern village in Nigeria.

The U.S. Department of State designated Boko Haram, which loosely translates to "western education is sin," as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013, recognizing the threat posed by the group's large-scale and indiscriminate attacks against women and children, bombings of churches and mosques, and assassinations of politicians and religious leaders.

Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, declared his plan to sell the girls abducted by the militant group in a video recording. The young women abducted are likely to be subject to physical and sexual abuse and raped by their captors, dispersed throughout the continent, traded or sold for money, and forced to become prostitutes or child brides of Boko Haram fighters.

Advancement of women's human rights around the world is a foreign policy priority of the United States. The United States Senate passed Senate Resolution No. 433 on May 6, 2014, which condemns the abduction of female students by armed militants from the Government Girls Secondary School in the northeastern province of Borno in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. House Resolution No. 573 was introduced on May 6, 2014 and also condemns the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

New Jersey has a long and unwavering history of opposing human trafficking, and the reprehensible actions of Boko Haram necessitate a reaffirmed commitment to fighting all kinds of human trafficking.