AYV News, October 14, 2024
Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio has been honoured as the ‘Best Africa First Lady of The Year 2024’, at the 9th Annual London Political Summit and Awards Dinner Gala held in the House of Commons, United Kingdom, in recognition of her personal achievements and significant contributions to women and girls empowerment and protection in Sierra Leone and beyond.
Her work encompasses education, health care and empowerment programs that seek to uplift marginalised women and girls.
Responding to the honour, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio said: “This award reflects not only my individual efforts but also the collective strength and resilience of the Sierra Leonean people. Together, we will continue to push forward, ensuring that sustainable peace and gender equality remain at the heart of our political governance”.
In a powerful address at the 36th Session of the Crans Montana Forum recently, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio emphasised the crucial need for recognising and amplifying women’s contributions in global development interventions.
During the forum held at the Merode Hotel in Brussels, Belgium, the first lady highlighted the importance of inclusivity and participation of women and girls in driving sustainable change.
She specifically called attention to the #WeAreEqual Campaign launched by First Ladies in Africa and urged world leaders and activists to ensure its success through collaborative efforts.
Dr. Fatima Maada Bio’s keynote address focused on key initiatives such as the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign, which aims to combat issues like rape, early child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and child trafficking. The campaign has led to significant legal and institutional reforms in Sierra Leone, resulting in the reduction of these harmful practices and the empowerment of survivors.
The first lady also underscored her government’s achievements in addressing challenges related to gender-based violence and maternal health, including her effort in championing the reconstruction of the 34 Military Hospital to provide comprehensive care for survivors and victims.
She highlighted legislative milestones such as the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) Act of 2022 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2024 as steps towards advancing women and girls’ rights in the country.
Dr. Fatima Maada Bio urged the international community to collaborate in recognising women’s contributions to global development, fostering sustainable partnerships, and ensuring the alignment of interventions with national and sub-regional agendas.
By coordinating efforts with governments and sharing best practices, she emphasised the potential for maximising impact and promoting gender equality worldwide.
First Lady Fatima Maada Bio, is at the forefront of fighting gender-based violence in Sierra Leone. She actively engaged in a series of gender-empowerment events. Her participation extends her efforts to advance women’s rights and advocate against rape and child marriage, in Sierra Leone.
UNAIDS recently named Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, as a UNAIDS champion for the empowerment and engagement of adolescent girls and young women in Sierra Leone.
UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, confirmed the appointment during a meeting with Mrs. Maada Bio and her husband President Julius Maada Bio at the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York.
“I am delighted to welcome Her Excellency Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio to the UNAIDS family as a champion for adolescent girls and young women,” said Ms. Byanyima. “The First Lady is a strong advocate for the empowerment of women and girls. I look forward to continuing to work together to end gender inequalities that drive HIV including sexual and gender-based violence, and to ensuring that our girls and young women have all the information and knowledge they need to lead healthy lives.”
Dr. Bio is a leading advocate for the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign, a movement launched by President Maada Bio in December 2018 to ban early child marriage and end sexual violence against women and girls. In 2022, she spearheaded the adoption of the first ever World Day for the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence, which is commemorated annually on 18 November.
Mrs. Bio is also a champion of Education Plus, an initiative launched by UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women to prevent HIV infections through free universal, quality secondary education for all girls and boys in Africa, reinforced through comprehensive empowerment programmes.
“My hope is for a future where all women have equal rights,” said Mrs. Maada Bio. “Where women and men can sit at the same table and make decisions together, where women are given the space to lead. That is my hope because then we will know that real equality has arrived for us all.”
