HISTORY MADE — UN ADOPTS FATIMA BIO’S RESOLUTION, PROCLAIMS NOV 27 AS INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END CHILD MARRIAGE:
By David K.Fengai
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a landmark resolution to establish November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, following an initiative led by Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio.
Presenting the draft on Friday, September 4, 2026, on behalf of President Julius Maada Bio and the people of Sierra Leone, Dr. Bio urged Member States to intensify global action to protect girls. She thanked co-sponsors and called on more nations to join, saying, “Your support sends a powerful message to girls everywhere: their rights, dignity and future are not negotiable.”
The First Lady told the Assembly that the new International Day will provide an annual platform to renew political commitment, strengthen advocacy, raise awareness, promote accountability and accelerate action. She noted the day will also push governments to strengthen laws, invest in girls’ education and protection, challenge harmful norms, and amplify survivors’ voices.
Describing child marriage as a major barrier to gender equality and sustainable development, Dr. Bio warned it deprives girls of education and opportunity while fueling violence, exploitation and intergenerational poverty. “Behind every statistic on child, early and forced marriage is a child. There is a name. There is a dream. There is a future,” she said.
Linking the campaign to both Sierra Leone’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024 and her own life story, the First Lady argued that ending the practice is not only a human rights obligation but an investment in families, economies and national development. As President of OAFLAD, she stressed that while a day alone cannot end child marriage, “political attention can. Strong laws can. Education can. Economic opportunities can. And above all, sustained political will can.”
The adoption marks a major diplomatic milestone for Sierra Leone and places the country at the center of a global push to protect childhood and advance girls’ rights.
