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Oby听Ezekwesili signs A World at School鈥檚 #UpForSchool Petition

It is now almost a year since more than and taken into the night by Boko Haram terrorists.

They have not been seen since 鈥� other than in propaganda videos by the Nigerian gunmen 鈥� and the world seems to have moved on since the heady days of the start of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

But one woman who refuses to forget is Oby Ezekwesili, former Nigerian education minister and one of the leaders of the campaign. She was in London for the Women of the World Festival and spoke about the plight of the missing girls and their families.

In an interview with today, she was asked about speaking out as a woman in Nigerian society. Ms Ezekwesili said: 鈥淲e are coming to terms with the fact that women own their voices and that women can use their voices. But we are not fully in tune with the idea that a woman would just keep on the same issue and completely refuse to be silenced.

鈥淚鈥檝e been told sometimes 鈥楯ust shut up鈥� 鈥� and I say nothing is going to make us shut up until the Ch-bok girls are brought back. We owe them our voice. We are amplifying their own voice that has been taken from them.鈥�

The students were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Borno state last April. #BringBackOurGirls campaigners keep in touch with the families and听Ms Ezekwesili said: 鈥淥ne minute they have plenty of hope and the next minute they have plenty of doubt and then they are angry. The swings are incredible.

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鈥淲hat鈥檚 amazing is how resilient they have been. One of the things they say to us and which really hits home is 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the only one still talking about our daughters 鈥� if you stopped , then our daughters would not be talked about鈥�.鈥�

On the subject of threats to herself and other campaigners, she said: 鈥淭he cost of losing 219 girls is much higher than any threat anyone could be posing to us.

鈥淚 refuse to give up. I have been very fortunate in life 鈥� education got me far and I feel totally obliged to these young women who remind me of my humble beginnings. Whatever I can do to ensure that their decision to go and get an education does not become the business for losing their lives.鈥�

In the wake of the Chibok kidnappings and other attacks on education, the Safe Schools Initiative was launched in Nigeria by Gordon Brown, alongside the and Nigerian private sector leaders. Last month t, which donated $2 million听to help the education needs of thousands of children affected by Boko Haram鈥檚 reign of terror.

On educating girls in Nigeria and beyond, Ms Ezekwesili said: 鈥淗ow can the choice be between staying alive and being educated? That is a terrible kind of choice to offer any young woman. Every young woman on the planet must be given the opportunity for an education.

鈥淓ducate a young woman and what you鈥檝e basically done is you鈥檝e liberated the world. A young woman who has acquired knowledge is a young woman who is going to lead the world.鈥�

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