At the opening of the Crans Montana’s 36th Annual Session in Brussels, Belgium, Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio stated that women and girls were no longer seeing the world as a level place because they had to fight daily for a space that already belongs to them.
The First Lady, who spoke passionately about discrimination against women, said women were constantly under pressure and they were always at the receiving end of imminent threats such as climate change, global warming and war.
Madam Fatima Bio stated that the new weapon of mass destruction against women is rape, adding “they use rape to take away women’s self-esteem; they use it to dehumanise women during war they did neither create nor have any business in, and at the end of the day the men come to the women to pick up the pieces”.
Her Exellency the First Lady also noted if policy makers had to come to the women to pick up the pieces, they needed to involve them in the decision making process.
“Women are now saying enough is enough; we need a space at the table, we need to be part of the decision process,” she echoed.
Speaking on the issue of Africa’s relationship with developed countries, Madam Bio disclosed that Africa had always been described as the dark continent; however they keep coming in the continent.
“As Africans, we have had enough, especially women and girls since everything that affects the continent, affects the women twice. Women multitask all the time, taking care of the home whilst working to support the men. We should not allow our children to suffer and for them to be victimised again,” the First Lady reiterated while making a case for women’s empowerment.
The Chairman and Founder of the Crans Montana Forum, Mr. Jean- Carteron welcomed the delegation for attending the conference, stating that such a gathering is done to strengthen democratic institutions.
Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of the State of Lagos, Nigeria stated that the picture painted by developed countries about Africa was constantly negative, emphasizing the need to change such a held-on narrative for a just and equitable world.
