People spoke of those who arrived at internally displaced camps first or were in older camps having better access and quality of services and goods. Women and girls living in host communities reported not receiving any services at all. Importantly, abortion is only permitted to save the life of the mother, leaving women and girls who have become pregnant with few choices. Although a majority of women interviewed wanted to continue their pregnancy, not all were willing or able to care for the children while some had tried to abort the pregnancy using local methods.
These women and girls are stigmatised and feared by many. Referred to as “Boko Haram wives” or annoba (epidemics), people are afraid they have been indoctrinated – and will spread these views. Some husbands divorced wives on their return. Given the lack of economic opportunities, this leaves them facing destitution.
The children they have given birth to, whose biological fathers are Boko Haram fighters, are also viewed with fear and suspicion. They are considered “hyenas among dogs”, to have bad blood and are assumed likely to be the next generation of fighters. After all, “a child of a snake is a snake”. As a result, children, including babies, and their mothers are being ostracised and left at risk of further violence.
However, many family members have shown acceptance. Much depends on whether the woman or girl left willingly or was abducted, how long they had been married to their husbands and whether they had children together. Many cited Qu’ranic verses that men should take back their wives if they are in captivity for less than five and a half years and accept any child born as their own. Most people viewed the women and girls as victims – but felt they needed to go through a deradicalisation and rehabilitation programme before reintegrating back into the community.
It is easy to know what to think about “innocent” women and girls who are abducted and in captivity. There is less certainty when they return when there has been some element of choice or when they have played some part in attacks. Community reactions are understandable if women and girls have played active roles and given the trauma communities themselves have experienced. These fears have been exacerbated by stories circulating of women and girls returned from captivity murdering their parents.
