By Emma Black
His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, has officially launched the 2025–2027 Campaign of the organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) titled Building Resilience for Women and Girls in the Face of Climate Change and Conflict, the high-level event took place on Friday, 12 December 2025, at the Freetown International conference centre, Bintumani, and brought together African First Ladies, development partners, senior government officials, traditional leaders, and members of the diplomatic community.
The launch marked a major continental milestone and coincided with the seventh anniversary of the “Hands off our Girls” Campaign, the flagship initiative of Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, who also serves as President of OAFLAD.
Present at the ceremony were the First Ladies of Liberia, Senegal, Cape Verde, Gabon, and Burundi, who joined their host in reaffirming their shared commitment to women’s empowerment, peacebuilding, and sustainable development across Africa.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady of Cape Verde, Mrs. Débora Katisa Carvalho, emphasized that although Africa has contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains the most affected by climate change. She highlighted worsening environmental challenges across the continent, including shrinking rainfall, unpredictable weather patterns, and severe impacts on agriculture and food security.
She noted that farmers in many African communities are struggling due to prolonged droughts, while others face flooding caused by excessive rainfall. Using Cape Verde as an example, Mrs. Carvalho recalled a recent heavy rainstorm that resulted in devastating floods, claiming several lives nearly 70 percent of whom were women and children. She stressed that women and girls remain the most vulnerable to climate-related disasters and called the OAFLAD initiative both timely and critical in helping African countries improve livelihoods and resilience.
The First Lady of Senegal, Mrs. Marie Khadija Faye, underscored the strong link between climate change, conflict, and gender-based violence, noting that environmental shocks often worsen insecurity and social instability. She emphasized the need to prioritize women and girls in climate resilience strategies and announced that Senegal would soon host the OAFLAD launch, formally inviting the First Lady of Sierra Leone to attend.
Other participating First Ladies included Mrs. Kartumu Yarta Boakai, First Lady of the Republic of Liberia, Mrs. Zita Oligui Nguema, First Lady of the Republic of Gabon Mrs. Angeline Ndayishimiye , First Lady of the Republic of Burundi,
They commended Sierra Leone for its leadership and praised Dr. Fatima Maada Bio for, the Executive Secretary of OAFLAD, Dr. Nardos Berhanu, explained that the campaign is a call to sustainable peace, inclusive development, and continental solidarity. She outlined the campaign’s four core pillars, education, health, women’s economic empowerment, Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, she stressed that strengthening these pillars is essential to safeguarding girls’ education, protecting women’s dignity, and building resilient African communities.
In her address, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio welcomed her fellow First Ladies and thanked them for answering the call to action. She emphasized that while the campaign was launched in Sierra Leone, its scope is pan-African, with long-term goals extending beyond 2027.
She called for the creation of accessible, just, and protective systems that ensure every girl feels safe, valued, and hopeful about her future. Dr. Fatima Bio also expressed gratitude to President Bio for his unwavering support and acknowledged the contributions of Paramount Chiefs, religious leaders, teachers, the judiciary, and the security sector in advancing the “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign over the past seven years.
Delivering the keynote address, President Julius Maada Bio expressed pride in launching the OAFLAD campaign in Sierra Leone and reaffirmed his commitment as a HeForShe Champion. He emphasized that empowering women is fundamental to building resilience, especially in the face of climate change and conflict.
President Bio noted that the campaign aligns directly with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan, particularly in the areas of climate resilience, human capital development, and inclusive governance, he stressed that resilience cannot be achieved without the full participation of women, who make up more than half of the population.
He called on governments, development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector to work closely with OAFLAD to build strong national coalitions, develop fundable projects, and ensure accountability.
President Bio officially declared the OAFLAD 2025–2027 Campaign launched, describing it as a catalyst for measurable and lasting transformation across Africa, the event concluded with renewed unity and commitment to protecting women, empowering girls, and building climate-resilient communities.
Observers noted that Dr. Fatima Maada Bio’s leadership continues to play a critical role in national and continental development, through her tireless advocacy against sexual and gender-based violence and her grassroots engagement across Sierra Leone, she has strengthened public confidence in governance and complemented President Bio’s development agenda.
As Africa confronts the twin challenges of climate change and conflict, the OAFLAD campaign stands as a powerful continental movement ensuring that every woman is protected, every girl can dream boldly, and every African community is resilient.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 15th December 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
