By Amin Kef (Ranger)
President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has delivered a compelling appeal for urgent global action to protect survivors of sexual violence in conflict and the children born as a result of such crimes. He made that call on Thursday, 25 September 2025, during a High-Level Event on Pregnancy, Children Born and Sexual Violence in Conflict held in New York, United States of America.
Commending the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Madam Fatima Maada Bio and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, for convening the dialogue, President Bio described the issue as confronting “a painful reality, the plight of women and girls who become pregnant as a result of sexual violence in conflict and the stigma endured by children born of such violence.”
Drawing from Sierra Leone’s tragic past, President Bio recalled the horrors of the country’s decade-long civil war, during which an estimated 20,000 children were born of rape and girls as young as 12 were forced into sexual slavery. “These memories compel us to act,” he declared, emphasizing the moral obligation to prevent such violations from recurring anywhere in the world.
Highlighting Sierra Leone’s national response, President Bio outlined landmark initiatives such as the declaration of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence as a national emergency, the creation of a dedicated Sexual Offences Court, the expansion of One-Stop Centres for survivors and robust protections against early marriage. He also underscored the role of the Government’s flagship Free Quality Education Programme in empowering vulnerable girls and providing pathways to recovery.
On the international front, Sierra Leone has continued to champion the Women, Peace and Security agenda, advocating that sexual violence in conflict must be treated as both a grave human rights violation and a direct threat to peace and security. In 2022, Sierra Leone, working in partnership with Japan, successfully advanced the first UN resolution on remedies for victims of sexual violence, affirming survivors’ rights to justice, reparations and rehabilitation.
President Bio endorsed the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General, urging the international community to ensure survivor-centred services, guarantee nationality and rights for children born of rape, integrate survivors into peacebuilding processes and provide adequate funding for reparations and reintegration. He stressed that the voices of survivors must be central to shaping effective solutions. “Our shared humanity requires us to act now. Let this event serve as a turning point where our words are matched with concrete commitments. We must build a world where no woman’s body is used as a battlefield and where every child enjoys dignity, rights and hope,” he concluded.
The event also featured powerful contributions from the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Madam Fatima Maada Bio; the First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi and Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, Madam Isha Sesay, who moderated the session, presented a summary of the Global Declaration of Principles on the Rights of Children Born of Conflict-Related Rape, reinforcing the urgent call for collective global action.
