In 2009, the militant Boko Haram group began its insurgency against the Nigerian government. The terrorist group drew global outrage after abducting more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok. Many of the girls were forced into marriage and motherhood. The Borno State Emergency Management Agency estimates that thousands more women and girls have also been kidnapped by militants in less-publicized attacks. The fates of many of them remain unknown.
Photo credit: Stephanie Sinclair
The sisters in the above photo — Yagana, 21, Yakaka 17, and Falimata, 14 — were all abducted and held captive for two years by Boko Haram until they escaped, just nine months before this photo was taken.
Learn more: This weekend, The New York Times featured “Child, Bride, Mother: Nigeria,” an investigative, multimedia piece featuring a short film by Too Young to Wed and its founder, Stephanie Sinclair.
