By Politico Staff Writer
Sierra Leone’s First Lady Dr. Fatima Bio has been appointed United Nations AIDS Champion.
The appointment took place in New York on the 19th September 2023 during the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.
“This is to certify that Her Excellency Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone is appointed as a UNAIDS Champion for the empowerment and engagement of adolescent girls and young women”, the appointment document reads.
The First Lady brought together her fellow First Ladies, international organisations and civil society organisations at her United Nations General Assembly side event titled "Lifting the Voices of Survivors" to make a strong case for women victims of violence.
She expressed appreciation to UN and the international community for supporting Sierra Leone's call to ensure that victims of sexual abuse are recognised by all nations.
Bio recalled that on the 7th November last year during the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, the UN unanimously declared 18th November as "World Day for the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence", following a resolution sponsored by Sierra Leone and co-sponsored by Nigeria.
She noted that the event was held to sustain the global partnership and to reassure victims and survivors that they are not alone.
The first lady stated that preventing child sexual abuse requires global collaboration, adding that 18th November World Day will be a day of commemoration.
Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan in her statement explained how the words "child" and "abuse" are horrifically paradoxical, demanding that "We must break the dirty hands before they reach our children", and further stated that "the best place to Protect a child is a loving and safe family environment”.
The side event was honoured by the presence of President Julius Maada Bio, First Lady of Turkey Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos and current President of Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, amongst others.
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