JHSON Grads Join Social Movement to Bring Back Our Girls
The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is lending support to the Bring Back Our Girls Movement (#BringBackOurGirls), a social media campaign to sway public opinion against the radical kidnappers of nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls, focus international attention on the act of terrorism, and perhaps save the missing girls and others like them.
New students, current students, and graduates of the School of Nursing (JHSON) recently shared their concern and their empathy over the fate of the girls, kidnapped in April by the terrorist group Boko Haram, which wants to ban the education of females.
“Here we are, we’ve been so busy with our final exams. And that’s all they wanted. They were there to take their final exams [when kidnappers arrived],” said student leader Emily Dawes of the JHSON Accelerated Class of 2014. (JHSON’s student ranks remain predominantly female, its most gender-diverse class reaching 13 percent male.) “Everyone deserves an education.”
The JHSON effort, which includes a Facebook page, a Tumblr presence, and Twitter dispatches (using the hashtag #Grads4BringBackOurGirls), joins a vocal outpouring that has become a shout in recent weeks. With word that Boko Haram has considered freeing some of the girls—perhaps a sign that the message is being heard—the volume is sure to keep increasing. While some girls have reportedly escaped, as of May 30, USA Today reported that more than 160 girls are still being held captive.
Dean Patricia M. Davidson, PhD, MEd, RN, applauded the idea of nurses making their voices heard on Bring Back Our Girls and other social issues. "Once again, we are taking a compassionate and leading role in improving the health and well-being of communities worldwide."
#BringBackOurGirls and #Grads4BringBackOurGirls
The Hopkins nurses are supporting the international cause with their own efforts. They have encouraged graduating students to make a #Grads4BringBackOurGirls sign to hold or wear on graduation day, “like” their Facebook page and invite others to do the same, post their support on their own social media pages, and include a graduation picture with the special #Grads4BringBackOurGirls hashtag. They also encourage fellow nurses to contact their U.S. senators and representatives to pass the International Violence Against Women Act.