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Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Maada Bio, delivered a powerful address on the second day of the Sierra Leone–Canada Trade, Investment and Cultural Show 2025, emphasizing that women’s economic empowerment is not an act of charity but a matter of justice, strategy, and survival.
Speaking under the theme “Empowering Women for Inclusive Economic Growth: Strategies and Success Stories,” the First Lady highlighted Sierra Leone’s progress under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio.
She pointed to legal reforms, the government’s Free Quality Education programme, and her flagship “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign as key drivers of change that are creating opportunities, breaking barriers, and transforming the lives of women and girls across the country.
Mrs. Bio also shared inspiring stories of Sierra Leonean women from farmers and entrepreneurs to health workers and survivors whose resilience and innovation are shaping brighter futures for their families and communities.
Calling for deeper collaboration between Sierra Leone and Canada, the First Lady praised Canada’s longstanding commitment to gender equality, inclusive development, and human rights.
She urged both nations to strengthen global solidarity in empowering women, stressing that inclusive leadership and investments in women are essential to building just and prosperous economies.
“The future is within reach,” she declared, “and it will be built by women who are empowered, included, and unstoppable.”
