Fatima Maada Bio, the First Lady of Sierra Leone, is more than a ceremonial figure. She is a powerful advocate for girls’ rights, a tireless campaigner against gender based violence, and a woman whose mission is reshaping the destiny of thousands of young Sierra Leonean girls.
Born and raised in Sierra Leone before moving to the United Kingdom to pursue her education and a successful acting career, Fatima Maada Bio’s journey is one marked by resilience, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to justice. Her return to public life in Sierra Leone as First Lady came with a clear vision to confront and uproot the cultural and institutional practices that have long endangered girls in the country.
In 2018, she launched the Hands Off Our Girls campaign, a bold national movement targeting the deeply entrenched issues of child marriage, rape, and sexual violence. The campaign quickly gained traction, not just for its message, but for the First Lady’s unapologetic stance. “We can no longer look away while our girls are being forced into adulthood through rape and early marriage,” she declared at the campaign’s launch, signaling a new era of accountability and reform.
Hands Off Our Girls is not just a slogan. It is a sweeping initiative that combines policy advocacy, grassroots engagement, survivor support, and public education. Fatima Maada Bio’s activism pushed Sierra Leone to enact landmark legal reforms, including a declaration of a national emergency on rape in 2019 by President Julius Maada Bio, her husband. This policy shift led to harsher penalties for sexual offenders and a renewed focus on protecting minors from exploitation.
Her efforts extend beyond legislation. Through community outreach, school visits, and regional campaigns, she brings the conversation directly to the people. Fatima has worked with local leaders, traditional rulers, educators, and religious figures to foster cultural change from within, knowing that laws are only effective when society itself evolves.
In 2020, she received international recognition when she was appointed as the Champion for Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), acknowledging not only her advocacy for girls but also her broader work in improving the lives of women and children across Sierra Leone.
Fatima Maada Bio has also been vocal about the need for girls to receive quality education. She believes that when girls are educated, they gain the power to decide their futures. Her advocacy includes pushing for scholarships, sanitary support, and safe school environments.
Despite challenges, criticisms, and cultural resistance, the First Lady remains undeterred. Her campaign has become a symbol of hope in a region where change is often slow and hard won. She represents a new generation of African women in leadership who are fearless, strategic, and driven by a deep sense of social justice.
As Sierra Leone continues to reckon with its past and embrace a future where girls are safe, educated, and empowered, Fatima Maada Bio’s legacy is already being written in the lives of the thousands of girls who now have the freedom to dream, grow, and lead.
In the words of the First Lady herself, “The fight is not just for our daughters, but for the soul of our nation.”
