By Sulaiman Jalloh
President Julius Maada Bio has, on assented to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024, a groundbreaking legislation that was enacted on the 20th of June by Parliament.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024 now criminalizes child marriages, attending and aiding a child to be forced into marriage, among others.
During the signing ceremony, President Bio uses the occasion to launch an inclusive gender campaign dubbed “WeAreEqual” on the Theme “Abolish Child Marriage, keep them learning.”
Delivering his keynote address, the President noted that the Presidential Assent on the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024 and the launching of “WeAreEqual” campaign initiated by the Organization of Africa First Ladies was a historic milestone for inclusivity and gender empowerment in the subregion, saying his country is ready to embrace the campaign. “This is the right place to come when you want to see freedom for women,” President Bio said. He used the occasion to call on citizens in implementing the Child Marriage Act, 2024 something, he said, will become enforceable, pointing out that Sierra Leone today is among the top performers in terms of gender equality and women’s empowerment due to the progressive legislation enacted under his watch. President Bio commended Members of Parliament for enacting the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024. He added that Members of Parliament had the “WeAreEqual” campaign on their minds when they were enacting the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2024. “Ladies and gentlemen, today I want to publicly acknowledge and pay special tribute to this generation of African First Ladies, who are now the game changers in supporting development in their countries. You, our First Ladies, are at the forefront of achieving greatness and giving voices to the voiceless, and we are very proud of you,” he asserted.
On her part, First Lady, Madam Fatima Bio, stated that growing up as a girl child, her personal experiences motivated her to campaign for the rights of women and girls across the globe. She pointed out that when the Bill was passed in Parliament, she was overwhelmed by the magnitude of testimonies regarding child marriage that has, over the years, ravaged the nation, something she commended Members of Parliament for putting their nation first in support of passing the Act emphasizing the impact it will create for the future of women and girls in Sierra Leone, in particular, and the African continent in general. Madam Fatima Jabbie Bio concluded by expressing thanks and appreciation to her husband, President Bio, who, she said, believes in women’s empowerment and has created the enabling environment for women to thrive in every sector across the country.
On her part, Nigerian’s Minister of Women’s Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, commended President Bio for what she considered as unwavering support to promoting the course that unites all African First Ladies and for enhancing Gender Equity and the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Sierra Leone, particularly the significant passing of two United Nations Resolutions on Justice for Rape Victims and appealing for Child Sexual Exploitation and Violence in the sub-region. She noted that the “Hands of Our Girls” campaign resonates deeply with the challenges and aspirations women face across the continent; therefore, she congratulated First Lady, Madam Fatima Maada Bio, for championing what she described as ‘significant course’, adding that she had no doubt that Madam Bio will continue to create an environment that will focus on greater opportunities for women and girls to live a healthier and better life.
Also speaking was the First Lady of the Republic of Cape Verde, Madam Debora Katisa Carvalho who said that child marriage is a serious crisis in Africa and that as first ladies they need nothing but a proactive action that will resonate the initiatives of Sierra Leone’s First Lady because it will end the deprivation of female children to their great potential. According to her, child marriage has, over the years, caused millions of girls to drop out of school and further subjected millions of them to extreme poverty, saying thirty percent (30%) of girls mostly become pregnant before they hit the age of 18, something, she said, motivates African leaders to action.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she went on, represent, among other things, a global action plan to eliminate extreme poverty and provide quality education for all children across the globe. She furthered that the initiative championed by Madam Fatima Bio resonates exactly with the SDGs. Therefore, she entreated all African leaders to come as one and support the progressive initiative for the betterment of women and girls in Africa.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Friday, July 5th, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
