Speaking at the margins of a Disability Conference at UN Headquarters in New York recently, the fine woman minister said protecting girls from forced or underage initiations like female circumcision has always been her focus.

She said Sierra Leone is one of the 28 African countries where the procedure is practiced, quoting the World Health Organization.

It can be recalled that Dr. Blyden has worked with police officers to rescue girls who face circumcision, which is the partial or full remove of their external genitalia as part of a ritual or in preparation for marriage.

It can further be recalled that she sat down with Liz Scaffidi to discuss this issue and women’s equality, as well as how she has “made history” as the youngest person to lead a political party in her country.