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The African Queens and Women Cultural Leaders Network (AQWCLN) is adding its voice to the call for the immediate release of the over 260 girls who were abducted three weeks ago by armed Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram in North Eastern Nigeria. We are also calling for the release of the 11 girls who were abducted on Sunday. AQWCLN see the act against these innocent young girls studying, in an authorized school with great aspirations of future contribution to the development of their families, communities and country, as an outrageous violation of their rights and an atrocity to our cultural practice of collective care and support for the well-being of all children. Women continue to lag behind in education and such acts tend to cripple efforts being made to bridge the educational gap between men and women and between regions. We underscore that using these innocent girls as an easy bet by Boko Haram group testifies to the group�s contempt for women and disrespect even for their own mothers, sisters, wives and daughters. We reiterate that by this act, the rights of these girls to have equal opportunity and access to education has been intercepted, their futures truncated and their aspirations diminished. Noting the negative ripple and multiplier effect this could have on other girls in that part of the country and neighboring regions and countries, We as Women Cultural Leaders, mothers and grandmothers, vehemently condemn it. We appreciate the global attention to the issue, measures already taken by the Nigerian government, support from friendly countries. We call on the Boko Haram group to take immediate measures to release the girls and for more expedient measures especially from the UN and African bodies to ensure our daughters are all brought back safe!! On behalf of AQWCLN�s Executive Board and our Membership across the continent, I wish to express our solidarity with the affected families, the communities concerned and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in these difficult moments. Signed Nanahemaa Adjoa Awindor (Chairperson - AQWCLN Continental Executive Board)