By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Celebrating the first “World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence” in November 18th in Freetown, Her Excellency First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone Dr. Madam Fatima Bio has on Tuesday 7th November 2023 at the government weekly press briefing assured to support all rape victims that would be present on that day.
“My foundation would support victims who are still passionate to pursue their university education, secondary school education and even those who want to learn vocational skills. The foundation would as well support with a startup capital for those who want to do business and startup something with their lives. It is just the beginning as this is the first commemoration of the initiative,” First Lady Fatima Bio assured.
First Lady Dr. Fatima Bio intimated that last year 7th November 2023 she had the singular opportunity to attend the United Nation General Assembly, adding that she was very fortunate to be the first African First Lady from a very small African country to address the United Nation. With her passion to advance child and women’s right, First Lady Fatima Bio revealed that she grabbed the opportunity of that day by asking the UN to give her a day they should commemorate rape victims.
Justifying the relevance of commemorating rape victims on that day, First Lay Dr. Fatima Bio, the champion of the initiative revealed that in the last five years she realized that rape victims do get justice but still not heal after the justice. “We fight for them to ensure that they get their justice, and the culprits are sent to jail but their lives would never remain the same again. So this day November 18 is to ensure that Sierra Leoneans and the wider world look at those victims in a different way. They are victims and we cannot victimize them twice,” she expressed.
Madam Fatima Bio furthered that November 18 was a day to stand in solidarity with all of those victims as she disclosed that the victims could not only be girls or women but boys too. She recalled on cases on her desk in relation to boys been sexually harassed and lives been destroyed. “So November 18 is to ensure that we all stand in solidarity with these people and tell them that you are not alone in this. We will stand with you help you heal and support you. It is all to ensure they feel belong but not abandoned,” Madam First Lady reinforced.
As the event marks the first commemoration, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone expressed that she would be hosting the First Lady of Nigeria, the First Lady of Angola, other international dignitaries and all Sierra Leones to come and grace that day. Madam Fatima Bio expressed that the success of all those opportunities was because she had a very supportive husband that is the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, President Julius Maada Bio. She added that her husband strongly supported her and her ideologies. First Lady Fatima Maada Bio committed to continuously raising the flag of Sierra Leone and represent the seven and above million people. First Lady made a clarion call to all Sierra Leoneans to take a special minute on that day and pray for all victims for God Almighty to heal them, and also pray for the culprits to heal so that their young children would be safe and feel safe to go wherever.
