Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, a committed advocate for the empowerment and well-being of women and girls, has stated that the greatest threat to women’s safety comes from the inappropriate actions of men.
During her recent speech at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the United States, Maada-Bio emphasised that mass destruction in Africa has nothing to do with weapons or bombs, but rather the sexual exploitation of women and girls by men that contribute to the destruction of females.
She expressed deep concern that such actions prevent females from receiving an education, push them into poverty, and undermine their self-esteem and potential.
“When we talk about mass destruction, everybody talks about weapons. Everybody talks about bombs and all that.
“But the worst mass destruction that Africa has are the penises of men. They use that to destroy our girls. They use that to prevent them from being educated. They use that to relegate our girls to poverty. They use that to demean our girls and make them feel so small so that they don’t have a future, or not believe in themselves to even think about their own future,” she said.
The First Lady, wife of President Julius Maada Bio, called for a united effort among African women and mothers to confront these pressing issues in order to protect their children.
Maada-Bio has been vocal about her commitment to enacting change. Under her influence, Sierra Leone banned early child marriage. Also, the law regarding rape in Sierra Leone was revised, increasing the maximum penalty from four months to a minimum of 15 years in prison, with life imprisonment for those who commit murder during assaults.
“When I started the campaign “Hands Off Our Girls” in Sierra Leone, I started with rape. At the time, the maximum punishment for rape in Sierra Leone was four months, and that is a nobody. If you were an influential person, it will be swept under the rug.
“As a First Lady, and knowing my husband’s vision to stop all of these in the country, I was not shy to go out there and tell the people that if they do this, this is what will happen. And everything that we promised them has been done,’ she said.
She emphasised the importance of implementing these laws and changing societal attitudes towards such crimes.
By ensuring that promises are fulfilled, Maada-Bio believes that public perceptions will shift, leading to safer environments for women and girls in Africa and the world.
“It is about the mindset. You see, when people realise that whatever these people say, they are going to do it, people will rethink their actions,” she said.