International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde joined public figures including U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama in calling for the release of girls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram in Nigeria.
“In a deep sense, the actions of Boko Haram represent the complete antithesis of the values inherent in education,” Lagarde said in prepared remarks for a speech in Washington. “Their action degrades the dignity of the human being, while education uplifts, enflames, and ennobles the human spirit.”
Boko Haram, which means “western education is a sin” in the local Hausa language, is waging a violent campaign in the northeast to create an Islamic state, exacerbating an education crisis in Africa’s biggest economy. The raid on the all-girls school village has galvanized social media campaigns that have included Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai using the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
“So let us join our voices to the voices of the world, and let loose an impassioned plea: bring back our girls, bring back our girls,” Lagarde said. “Respect our girls.”
Lagarde, a regular proponent of women’s rights, last week canceled plans to deliver the commencement address at Smith College, bowing to protests by students and faculty over the fund’s policies.
“We have certainly made great strides toward gender equality,” Lagarde said in her remarks today. “But while our foot might be in the door, we are still standing outside — in the cold.”
Source: Bloomberg (by )
