H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio Hosts #UNGA80 Dinner with OAFLAD, World Shoe and NBPA To Advance Women’s Empowerment and Health Across Africa
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New York, September 2025 — During the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), receptions filled Manhattan. But one dinner stood apart — a historic high-level side event hosted by Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone and President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
Themed “Peace and Security Through Her Eyes: Centering Women and Children in Global Peace, Stability, and Sustainable Development,” the event was co-hosted by the NBPA Foundation and The World Shoe. It brought together presidents, First Ladies from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, alongside development partners, civil society leaders, and philanthropists.
With President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and President Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau delivering powerful keynote remarks, the evening was quickly hailed as the standout dinner of UNGA80.
A First Lady Redefining Leadership
Since assuming office in 2018, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio has been more than a ceremonial figure. She has become one of Africa’s most outspoken and effective champions for women and girls, leading reforms that have transformed Sierra Leone’s social and legal landscape.
Her flagship initiative, the Hands Off Our Girls campaign, launched in December 2018, tackles child marriage, gender-based violence, and rape while ensuring access to reproductive healthcare and justice. She has personally traversed Sierra Leone — engaging Paramount Chiefs, Imams, Pastors, and Tribal Leaders — transforming the campaign into a grassroots movement.
The results are undeniable:
- Legal reform: A new Sexual Offences Act (2019) raised minimum rape sentences from 2 years to 15 years, with child rape punishable by life imprisonment.
- Justice delivered: The creation of a Fast-Track Special Court for rape cases cut trial times from years to just weeks.
- Medical empowerment: Training of 40 medical doctors to testify in rape cases, up from just one in the entire nation.
- Ending period poverty: Free sanitary pads for girls in government schools.
- Healthcare infrastructure: A 600-bed hospital nearing completion.
- Support for survivors: A seven-building rehabilitation center for victims of rape and gender-based violence, now halfway built.
These achievements have won her international recognition from both the African Union and the United Nations, cementing her as a continental voice for women and children.
An Evening of Power and Partnership
At the UNGA80 dinner, Dr. Bio set her national record against a global backdrop:
“This evening is about more than fellowship — it is about shaping a new world together. With partnerships like NBPA, World Shoe, and OAFLAD, we are showing that women and children will no longer be afterthoughts in development, but the very heart of it.”
The night symbolized her ability to blend local impact with global vision.
Presidents at Her Side
Both attending presidents aligned themselves with her agenda:
- President Julius Maada Bio: “Empowering women is not optional — it is essential. When they rise, Sierra Leone rises with them.”
- President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau: “Supporting women is not charity, it is strategy. The prosperity of our nations depends on them.”
Dr. Bio later expressed gratitude on Facebook to President Embaló, calling him a “big brother and visionary leader” whose presence was a “powerful symbol of support and encouragement.”
Global Solidarity: Africa, the Caribbean & Latin America
H.E. Ann Marie Davis, First Lady of the Bahamas emphasized South-South unity:
“This dinner demonstrates that Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America share one mission — to center women and children in building peace and prosperity.”
H.E. Lucrecia Peinado , First Lady of Guatemala and Chair of the Global First Ladies Alliance (GFLA), echoed the sentiment:
“What we witnessed tonight is not just symbolic — it is structural. When First Ladies join forces with innovators like World Shoe, supported by NBPA and Africell, the blueprint for sustainable change becomes clear.”
World Shoe: African Innovation for Global Health
The event also spotlighted World Shoe, an African-led social enterprise producing antimicrobial, biodegradable footwear in Ghana.
- Manny Ohonme, Co-Founder of World Shoe: “World Shoe is more than footwear — it is dignity you can wear, protection against disease, and proof that African innovation can lead the world.”
- Kojo Taylor, President of World Shoe Ghana: “Every shoe we make represents jobs, health, and hope. Our Akosombo factory is a beacon of what happens when Africa invests in Africa.”
Legacy in the Making
Dr. Bio’s leadership is marked by fearlessness: if not invited to the table, she builds her own. If ignored, she raises her voice until heard. She has made Sierra Leone a laboratory for bold policies and OAFLAD a continental platform for change.
As Tracie Ohonme of Samaritan’s Feet remarked at the dinner:
“When we walk together, no child is left behind. In five years, we will look back at nights like this as turning points in history.”
TVOA at the Table: Amplifying Africa’s Voice
The Voice of Africa (TVOA) proudly represented the continent’s media landscape at this historic gathering. The delegation included Dr. Kingsley Van Der Puije (President), Evelyn Van Der Puije (Vice President), Kadmiel Van Der Puije (CEO), Kemuel Van Der Puije (COO), and Miss Universe Eritrea, Snit Tewoldemedhin — each playing a key role in amplifying Africa’s narrative on the global stage.
During the event, Evelyn Van Der Puije conducted an in-depth interview with Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio on the intersection of World Shoe, women’s empowerment, and youth innovation across Africa. The full feature — “Walking the Talk: Women, Youth, and the Future of Africa” — will be released soon exclusively on The Voice of Africa platforms.
With a readership spanning the United States, Ghana, and across the diaspora, TVOA continues to serve as Africa’s media bridge to the world — bringing stories of impact, progress, and partnership to its 500,000+ social followers and 10.2 million monthly viewers.
A Night That Redefined UNGA80
Of all the glittering events at UNGA80, this dinner stood apart. It wasn’t about speeches or photo-ops. It was about a continental movement for peace, security, and inclusion led by Africa’s women.
By convening presidents, First Ladies, athletes, innovators, and partners, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio proved that Sierra Leone is not on the sidelines of global progress — it is at its center.
Her legacy — like the “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign — is not measured in applause, but in lives transformed. And on that night in New York, the world saw her not just as Sierra Leone’s First Lady, but as Africa’s First Lady of Transformation.