Sierra Leone's First Lady and other women dance to celebrate child marriage ban

In a heart-warming and jubilant celebration, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio, the First Lady of Sierra Leone, was captured on video joining other women of the West African country in a spirited dance, celebrating the passage of a historic law banning child marriages.

The footage shows Mrs Maada Bio surrounded by other women, singing and dancing energetically around a table laden with food and drinks, as they applaud the country's parliament for enacting this long-awaited legislation.

The Sierra Leone Parliament has officially approved the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2024, marking a new era of freedom and security for the nation's children. This landmark decision has been praised by international organisations, including Save The Children, which described the bill as a historic step forward.

Last Thursday, lawmakers passed the bill, which criminalises the marriage of girls under the age of 18. Those found guilty face up to 15 years in prison or a substantial fine exceeding $2,000. Patrick Analo, the country head of Save The Children in Sierra Leone, lauded the achievement, stating, “This is a historic moment and an extraordinary achievement for children across Sierra Leone who have campaigned for their rights. Girls who are married young are not only robbed of their childhoods—they are robbed of their futures.”

The urgency of this law is underscored by stark statistics from UNICEF, which reveal that one-third of all girls in Sierra Leone are married before their 18th birthday. The country is home to 800,000 child brides, 400,000 of whom were married before the age of 15.

The bill now awaits the signature of President Julius Maada Bio to become law, heralding a brighter and more secure future for the children of Sierra Leone and setting a precedent for other nations in the region to follow.

Read Full Story