The Strategic Use of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Terrorism: The Rise of Boko Haram in Northeastern Nigeria

This thesis examines how Boko Haram evolved from a local movement in north-eastern Nigeria into a terrorist group characterised by widespread abuse of women, girls and the community. It analyses why sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) became a strategic tactic of Boko Haram's insurgency and how the Nigerian state responded to it. The study shows that long-standing social and economic inequalities affecting women created conditions for conflict-related SGBV, while government responses largely overlooked gendered realities. Despite this state neglect, the thesis explores how survivors resisted stigma and reclaimed their voices and agency.