The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, joined hundreds of young girls at the 10th Annual National Girls’ Empowerment Forum on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the New Administrative Building in Parliament. The event, hosted by Kids Advocacy Network Sierra Leone, marked the celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child.
In her keynote address, Her Excellency expressed her gratitude to distinguished guests, including former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, former ECOWAS Speaker of Parliament Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis, Hon. Ibrahim Barrie, Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Youth, and Mrs. Isatu Jabbie Kabba, Gender Adviser to the President, thanking them for their ongoing support in empowering girls across Sierra Leone.
Reflecting on the past decade, the First Lady recalled how, in 2015, many girls faced significant challenges such as dropping out of school and early marriage. She explained that these struggles led to the creation of the National Girls’ Empowerment Forum, a platform that has since become a symbol of hope for girls across the country.
“The forum shows that empowering girls is not a privilege but a right,” Her Excellency stated. She praised the leadership of the Children’s Forum Network, acknowledging their courage and commitment to addressing important national issues.
Highlighting key achievements of the Forum, she outlined five main areas of success: promoting education, nurturing leadership and mentorship, advancing gender equality, challenging harmful social norms, and advocating for policy change.
“Empowering girls is not just a policy, it is a responsibility,” she emphasized, calling for collective efforts to end child marriage in Sierra Leone.
Quoting poet Maya Angelou, the First Lady added, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.”
In her closing remarks, she reaffirmed her belief that education is the key to progress. “If any political party, including mine, tries to take away education, vote against it,” she urged the audience.
The event also featured several other speakers who praised Her Excellency for her tireless work in promoting women’s and girls’ empowerment both locally and internationally.