By Politico Staff Writer
First Lady Fatima Bio’s campaign against sexual and gender-based violence has attained global attention with the backing of her peers at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.
The ‘Hands off our girls’ campaign by seeks to end rape and early child marriage, among a horde of gender-based violence acts that women and girls face in the country. The Sierra Leonean First Lady launched the campaign shortly after her husband assumed office last year, amidst widespread reports of cases of sexual and gender based violence across the country.
Mrs Bio has been selling the idea to her colleague First Ladies on the continent since the launch of what has become known as a movement. And on Wednesday it went global with the convening of forum on the sidelines of the ongoing UN meeting where she called for the lifting of “the lid of silence” taboo and stigma surrounding rape and early marriage in Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa.
“I come from a family where girls are married at 12 years,” Mrs Bio was quoted saying while recounting her personal ordeal with arranged marriage.
Sierra Leone has one of the highest incidences of rape and sexual assault on the continent. As a result of the First Lady’s campaign, in February, President Bio declared a state of emergency due to the high incidences of rape.
Mrs Bio is part of President Julius Maada Bio’s delegation at the UN meeting, which is being convened under the theme: "Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion."
The discussions have been largely dominated by presentations on the sustainable development goals, of which number 5 is Gender Equality.
One of the top speakers at the forum on ‘Hands off our girls’, was African Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina, who spoke against all forms of early marriage and said the economic empowerment of women is a critical tool to end the vicious cycle of marginalization and gender imbalance the world over.
“That’s why the Bank is raising $3 billion to support women,” Adesina was quoted saying, referring to the Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women In Africa (AFAWA) initiative.
“Early marriage is not only a human rights abuse it is an economic issue,” added Rachel Yates, Executive Director of Girls Not Brides.
Among the high profile dignitaries at the event were fellow First Ladies Jeanette Kagame of Rwanda, Clar Weah of Liberia, Antoinette Sassou Nguesso of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first lady of Zimbabwe, Auxilla Mnangagwa, and Ermine Erdogan, first lady of Turkey.
Speaking of her “Sierra Leonean sister,” Mrs Weah of Liberia said it was time to collectively say no to abuse.
“We renew our commitment to create a safe world for our girls in Africa. We entreat all presidents and heads of states to join us,” she said.
Ermine Erdogan, an ardent advocate against child marriage in Turkey and who made a special appearance to support the event, said the key to the empowerment of women was education.
“There is no excuse for early marriage. The place for a school-going child is school,” she said.
UNFPA Deputy Executive Director, Djereje Wordofa, said protection of girls and women and preventing abuse must become a national priority.
Also present at the event was Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation, who said it was a subject he dreaded but had to talk about.
“Child marriage reinforces poverty…It is totally unacceptable.
We must speak out against political, religious and social practices,” he said.
The High-Level meeting follows a First Ladies Meeting on Combatting Child Marriage and Promoting Education of Girls in West Africa, which took place in Niamey in Niger on the Margins of the Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State of the African Union.
“Every time I get the opportunity, I say the fight against early marriage is not a political statement, it is a personal one. We need help,” Mrs Bio said.
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