“They are all ‘Our Girls’”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) launched ‘Our Girls’ video and petition campaign, to expose the ongoing silence and hypocrisy of prominent #BringBackOurGirls supporters — including world leaders, feminist women’s organizations, celebrities, and other public figures who once backed women’s rights — in the wake of the atrocities committed against Israeli women and girls by Hamas on October 7th.
In 2014, after the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram took 276 Nigerian girls captive, there was a global movement embraced by First Lady Michele Obama, world leaders, feminist organizations, and celebrities to rally together through the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign to rescue the girls.
So why, after innocent Israeli women and girls were taken hostage and subjected to sexual torture by extremist group Hamas, is there still so much silence? Why the double standard?
In a continued campaign to bring attention to innocent women around the globe being held captive, brutalized, and tortured, Independent Women’s Forum’s ’Our Girls’ video and petition calls upon those who remain silent to stop the selective outrage and stand up for ALL women ALL of the time.
In addition to asking #BringBackOurGirls supporters why the Israeli women and girls held hostage and tortured by Hamas aren’t ‘Our Girls’ too, IWF’s video features the Ukrainian women raped by Russians in occupied areas, Sudanese women sexually assaulted by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Iranian women and girls killed by morality police for showing their hair, and the Uyghur women sterilized by the Chinese Communisty Party.
“The continued silence and apathy in response to the Israeli hostage crisis and the failure to clearly condemn the sexual violence perpetrated on October 7 is a disgrace to women everywhere,” said Kelsey Bolar, Independent Women’s Forum storytelling director and “Our Girls” producer. “All those who claim to advocate for women must clearly and articulately stand against those who would use rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war.”
On International Women’s Day, IWF released a shorter campaign video featuring women’s rights advocates Meghan McCain, Tulsi Gabbard, Riley Gaines, Sage Steele, Qanta Ahmed, and Emily Austin.
Background on IWF’s work:
- Watch the first campaign video, “Why Is There Silence?”, HERE.
- Read letter to the White House’s Gender Policy Council, demanding the White House to speak out forcefully and condemn Hamas’ weaponization of sexual violence and demand freedom for the hostages still being held and subjected to continued abuse.
- Read National Review op-ed calling on women’s advocates to break the silence when it comes to the Israeli hostages HERE.