{"id":28546,"date":"2024-02-19T16:10:55","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T16:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly"},"modified":"2024-02-20T15:57:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-20T15:57:36","slug":"first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly","title":{"rendered":"First Lady Fatima Bio Delivers Powerful Speech at OAFLAD Assembly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. <\/strong><\/span>Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, the esteemed First Lady of Sierra Leone, delivered a powerful speech at the 28th Ordinary General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 18, 2024.<\/b><\/p>\n

The Assembly focused on the theme \u201cEducate Her and Transform Africa: Enhancing Access to Health and Education for the 21st Century\u2019s African Women and Girls,\u201d and Dr. Fatima Maada Bio stressed the crucial role of education and healthcare in shaping Africa\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

In her impassioned address, Dr. Fatima emphasized the urgent need for collective efforts to empower women and girls through education, highlighting its significant impact on their ability to contribute meaningfully to the continent\u2019s development. She stressed the importance of ensuring equal educational opportunities for all citizens to foster thriving communities and nations.<\/p>\n

Grateful for the unwavering support of her husband, His Excellency Retired Brigadier Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, the First Lady expressed heartfelt appreciation for the President\u2019s commitment to inclusive policies and initiatives aimed at advancing education, equal rights, and women\u2019s empowerment in the country.<\/p>\n

Dr. Fatima commended President Bio\u2019s dedication to allocating 22% of Sierra Leone\u2019s GDP to education, showcasing the government\u2019s firm commitment to education as a key driver of national progress. She highlighted initiatives aimed at improving equal access to education, such as providing transportation, free books, and meals in remote areas, to ensure fair opportunities for all citizens.<\/p>\n

Expounding on the successes of the \u201cHands Off Our Girls\u201d campaign, designed to combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality in Sierra Leone, Dr. Fatima outlined initiatives like distributing free sanitary pads, conducting menstrual hygiene programs, and advocating against issues like rape, early marriage, and teenage pregnancy. These efforts aim to protect and empower young girls in Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n

Bringing attention to the Gender Equality and Women\u2019s Empowerment (GEWE) Act, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio emphasized its provision for a 30% quota for women, highlighting the crucial role of legislative measures in advancing gender equality and ensuring women\u2019s representation in decision-making processes at all levels.<\/p>\n

The 28th OAFLAD General Assembly provided a pivotal platform for influential female leaders and advocates to come together, exchange ideas, and reaffirm their dedication to driving positive changes for African women and girls. Through collaborative action and unwavering determination, participants aim to pave the way for a brighter and more prosperous future for everyone.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, the esteemed First Lady of Sierra Leone, delivered a powerful speech at the 28th Ordinary General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 18, 2024. The Assembly focused on the theme \u201cEducate Her and Transform Africa: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":28545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[291,293,292],"class_list":["post-28546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-sierra-leone","tag-sierra-leone"],"yoast_head":"\nFirst Lady Fatima Bio Delivers Powerful Speech at OAFLAD Assembly - Sierra Leone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, the esteemed First Lady of Sierra Leone, delivered a powerful speech at the 28th ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"First Lady Fatima Bio Delivers Powerful Speech at OAFLAD Assembly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, the esteemed First Lady of Sierra Leone, delivered a powerful speech at the 28th ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sierra Leone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-19T16:10:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-20T15:57:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/sites\/16\/2024\/02\/sm_1708347473.071271.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"565\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"First Lady Fatima Bio Delivers Powerful Speech at OAFLAD Assembly\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-19T16:10:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-20T15:57:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly\"},\"wordCount\":425,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/sites\/16\/2024\/02\/sm_1708347473.071271.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Sierra-Leone\",\"Sierra-Leone\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/first-lady-fatima-bio-delivers-powerful-speech-at-oaflad-assembly\",\"name\":\"First Lady Fatima Bio Delivers Powerful Speech at OAFLAD Assembly - 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