By Amin Kef-Ranger
Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Bio, effectively shared her vision and programs for the liberation of women and girls through her Hands Off Our Girls Initiative with a global audience in Doha, Qatar during the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2022.
The First Lady shared the Maternal and Child Health panel with the First Lady of Rwanda and former First Lady of Panama, during which she spoke about the successful implementation of the Hands Off Our Girls Initiative.
Under the distinguished patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser (The Queen of Qatar), whom she met with earlier on Tuesday, H.E Madam Fatima Maada Bio joined one of the leading global platforms where scientists, entrepreneurs and policymakers meet to develop solutions to significant health issues facing the world today and explore ways in which innovation could improve those issues for the future.
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform assembled health experts and state actors to critically examine the successes and challenges of maternal and child health in various countries and design a roadmap for future healthcare delivery.
Given her astute role in tackling Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and child trafficking, raising awareness on early pregnancy as well as promoting the health of the girl child in Sierra Leone, Fatima Maada Bio explained the genesis and associated outcomes of the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign, stating that the campaign was engendered to ensure the girl child acquire education undisturbed, thereby complementing the Free Quality Education project launched by His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio.
“We launched the Hands Off Our Girls to break society’s stereotypical barriers, especially in introducing the girl child to early marriage and pregnancy as well as identifying them as objects of pleasure, raising awareness on the dangers of SGBV, developing policies to address the problems and give them a voice to speak about societal ills and empower them to contribute to nation building,” the First Lady noted.
Drawing inspiration from Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser on increasing access to education and maternal and child health, Her Excellency revealed that she was constructing a state-of-the-art medical city, which would accommodate 500 beds, a pediatric centre, nursing and midwifery school, administrative office with improved medical facilities at the 34 Military Hospital in Freetown, adding that the facility would tackle myriads of healthcare issues affecting Sierra Leoneans, particularly women and girls when completed.
The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) was established by Qatar Foundation in 2013 as a catalyst for change. WISH unites the world’s most influential thinkers and brilliant minds to develop solutions that can improve health outcomes globally.
Earlier at the opening ceremony, the Sierra Leone First Lady shared the front row with distinguished global leaders including the Commonwealth Secretary General, President of Tanzania, First Lady of Rwanda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia and seated close to the Queen of Qatar.
Wednesday 5th October 2022 was a very busy day for the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio, in the Arabian Peninsula city of Doha in Qatar as she continued her Working Visit on the Special Invitation of the Royal Family of Qatar which has primarily funded the trip of the Sierra Leone First Lady and her delegation to Qatar.
After briefings with her competent Team of support staff in the morning, she was to move over for a Lunch meeting with Qatar Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari at his family’s private residence.
After the Luncheon meeting, the Sierra Leone First Lady also held a very important, closed door meeting with H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa Al-Thani, the Chairperson of Qatar Museum, who is one of the most influential women in the Middle East.
H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio was afterwards taken on a conducted tour of the Islamic Art Museum and the Doha Flag Plaza alongside Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania who is currently also visiting Qatar as a special guest of the Royal Family of Qatar. The two distinguished African Muslim Women H.E. Fatima Maada Bio and H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan were joined on the tour by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, among other VIPs.
The hectic day ended with a Special Dinner organized by the Royal Family for their special guests.
