The African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) has called for the urgent rescue of the abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi state.
Members advocated for immediate national and international intervention following the abduction of 24 students from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi.
They made the call at the ongoing AWLA International Conference in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Its theme is: “From Margins to Mainstream: The African Woman in Unfettered Sustainable Development.”
International Alternate Chairman for Litigation and AWLA representative, Abiodun Kolawole, described the incident as a tragic example of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and the increasing vulnerability of school children.
“We are devastated by what happened in Kebbi. Armed men stormed a government school where young girls were simply trying to learn.
“This is heartbreaking. This is unacceptable.
“Nigeria cannot continue to live under the constant threat of abduction and terror,” Mrs Kolawale said.
She appealed for urgent action from the Nigerian government, the African Union, ECOWAS, the United Nations and international partners.
Mrs Kolawole urged the media to amplify the call for a coordinated global rescue effort.
“We are using this platform to call for immediate intervention; these girls must be found.
“Their families are in pain, their mothers are desperate.
“We need every organisation, every government, and every individual of conscience to join this call.
“Our children deserve protection. They deserve a future.
“We want the media to spread this message across the world.
“We are not asking for anything extraordinary.
“We are asking for safety for our children, for an end to these senseless attacks, and for urgent steps to bring every one of these girls home.”
AWLA listed the names of the abducted students, including Fatima, Salma, Aisha, Khadija, Saraya, among others, insisting that the girls must not be forgotten.
“We are calling their names because they are not numbers, they are daughters, sisters, and future leaders,” Mrs. Kolawale said.
“We are joining hands with Nigerians everywhere and with the global community to demand their immediate release. We are tired.
“Our children must not continue to suffer like this.”
AWLA urged security agencies to deploy all available intelligence and technology to locate the girls, stressing that time is critical in cases of mass abduction.
President of the International Network of Women Lawyers in the Benin Republic, Alice Codjia-Sohouenou, expressed strong solidarity with Nigerians in their fight against violence targeting women and girls.
Codjia-Sohouenou said the tragedy in Kebbi reflects a wider regional crisis, noting that women in Benin also face similar patterns of abuse, marginalisation and systemic neglect.
She said her organisation remains committed to using legal expertise and advocacy to protect women, adding that female lawyers across West Africa often confront resistance and discrimination even as they work to defend victims.
“We understand this pain because we see it too,” she said.
“Violence against women is not a Nigerian problem alone.
“It is a regional challenge, and we must confront it together.
“Women advocates themselves are being marginalised, yet we continue to stand firm because the lives of women and girls depend on it.”
Marian Karina Nanorki Darlington, Administrator of AWLA Ghana, emphasised the importance of robust legal frameworks.
She noted that while Ghana has robust laws such as the Domestic Violence Act, legislation alone is insufficient without genuine enforcement.
“If you don’t have laws, there are no offenders,” she said. “But even after the laws are in place, we cannot relax.
“We must pursue enforcement and educate our people so that everyone understands the implications of violence, the rights available to victims and where they can seek redress.”
Speakers renewed calls for stronger protections for women across Africa, highlighting the persistent barriers that remain despite decades of advocacy.
Founder of AWLA, Betty Mould-Idrissu, recalled the association’s beginnings in Nairobi, where pioneering women lawyers resolved to challenge harmful practices such as forced marriages, female genital mutilation and denial of inheritance rights.
She said AWLA members often created informal legal aid centres to assist women who lacked access to justice.
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, urged African governments and civil society to resist global pushbacks that threaten gender-equality gains.
She warned that progress could be reversed if laws are not protected, funded and actively implemented.
Country Representative of AWLA in the Benin Republic, Falilatou Saizonou Bedie, described violence against women and girls as a persistent crisis that continues to undermine social and economic development.
She called for development models that place women at the centre and urged African countries to dismantle patriarchal norms, close the gender digital divide and ensure female representation in leadership.
As Africa marks the global campaign for the Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, she said efforts must be accelerated across homes, workplaces, communities and conflict zones.
She welcomed the recent adoption of a continental convention on ending violence against women, but stressed that implementation remains the real test.
President of AWLA, Mandy Demechi-Asagba, applauded the resilience of women lawyers across the continent, recounting cases where AWLA interventions saved victims of domestic abuse.
She urged members to remain committed to the struggle, saying the quest for equality is “ongoing and essential.”
Speakers stressed that while progress has been made, the journey toward safety and equality for African women and girls remains far from complete, requiring stronger cooperation, enforcement and sustained advocacy across borders.
