By Mabinty M. Kamara
Sierra Leone’s First Lady Madam Fatima Bio has expressed her strong resolve and desire for the country to have a clearly defined policy on Early Marriage which she said continues to affect the growth and development of girls.
The first lady was speaking to a female media group named Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL) during a courtesy visit to her office on Tuesday this week with an aim to address compelling issues affecting women and girls across the country.
Speaking on the burning issues affecting women and girls across the country, she singled out early marriage which she referred to as a perennial problem that continues to hold girls aback. To address this, she said a Child marriage policy should be legislated.
“We need to extract it from the Child Rights Acts and deal with it separately. Then we will come later to the other issues and address them as we go along,” she said.
She therefore urged WIMSAL to collaborate and use its platform to address such challenges facing women across the board, regardless of their political backgrounds. The First Lady also highlighted President Bio's commitment to women's empowerment. She lauded the passing of the 30% Gender Quota bill in the last Parliament and the increased representation of women in his government.
She expressed her belief in the power of women's voices, emphasizing that capacity- building remains crucial in strengthening women's groups.
Commending WIMSAL's scholarship initiative, she pledged additional support to enhance members' capacity. “Education is power,” she said.
Addressing the need for unity, the First Lady encouraged WIMSAL to transcend political boundaries and stand together to amplify the struggles faced by women and girls across the nation.
With a vision for a more prosperous future, the First Lady urged WIMSAL to be firm in decision-making and advocacy drive and not be limited by political or social barriers.
Speaking at the meeting, WIMSAL's President, Madam Eastina Taylor, highlighted the organization's purpose and commended the impactful initiatives of the First Lady's Office, including the flagship programme “Hands Off Our Girls" and other interventions. She emphasized the importance of amplifying women's voices, challenging stereotypes, and promoting gender equality.
She emphasized that since the formation of WIMSAL, the group has actively participated in awareness- raising and advocacy on diverse issues affecting women including reporting cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
However, she said the Organisation continues to face challenges such as institutional barriers, inaccessibility to required data and information, and inadequate capacity to effectively report the issues.
It is in this regard that the president requested the First Lady's support through partnerships, to beat those challenges and ensure safe Sierra Leone for women and girls to thrive in all walks of life including governance.
In her response, the First Lady commended WIMSAL’s efforts and expressed her willingness to participate in the organization's affairs. She stressed the importance of capacity building and promised support through scholarships and other activities.
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