First Lady, Madam Fatima Maada Bio is motivated by pan- Africanist ideals. She is a strong believer in women empowerment as key to sustainable development. She pursued her passion for women empowerment as First Lady by staging a peaceful protest against gender based violence. It was a historic march as First Ladies from different African Countries came together in unity in a protest march on the streets of Freetown in December 2018. This was the beginning of her very powerful campaigned themed “Hands Off Our Girls”.

Born into the madingo tribal circle, she knew who her husband would be at age 10. She narrowly escaped Child marriage and started philanthropic work at a very tender age of 16.
She relocated to London where she pursued her passion for charity work. Her personal story is her main motivation and she has traveled the world providing support to vulnerable children, especially in Africa.

First Lady Fatima Bio has Bachelors of Art degree in Performing Art from the Roehampton Institute of London and in Journalism from the University of Arts, London College of Communication.
Worthy of note about Sierra Leone’s illustrious first lady is the niche she has garnered for herself through hard-work over the years in the entertainment industry as an actress, script Writer, executive producer and a multi award winning face of Nollywood industry. Among her barrage of prominent features in cinema is the ‘Mirror Boy’.

First Lady Maada Bio has received several awards including;
* Honoured with the Warrior Award at the International Women of Power Luncheon in California, U.S.A. for her bravery and outstanding contribution towards women and girls in Sierra Leone.
* Honoured as one of the most influential people of African descent under 40 in New York, United States.
*Miss Africa in 2000
* “Best Supporting Actress” for the movie Mirror Boy in 2011 “Best Actress Award” from the Black Ethnics, Fashion and Film
* In September 2013, Mrs Fatima Jabbe-Bio was voted the best female

The effective “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign ultimately led to the President, H. E. Rtd Brig. Julius Maada Bio’s declaration of a National Emergency on Rape and Sexual Violence in Sierra Leone on the 7th Feb 2019, and subsequent revision of the sexual offences act in September 2019.

Internationally, the First Lady has taken #HandsOffOurGirls to Canada; during the “Women Deliver Conference, The BBC London and The Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations. Very recently, President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, launched #HandsOffOurGirls campaign at a High Level meeting on the margin of the 74th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on the 25th of September 20019 at St. Regis New York.

In line with the UN sustainable development goals, the Hands off our Girls session in New York focused on “ Advancing campaign on the reduction of Early Marriage and Rape in Africa for the promotion of human capital development”. Statements were delivered by important global personalities such as Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation; Dr Akinwunmi Adeshina, President of African Development Bank, Mr Dereje Wordofa – UNFPA Deputy Executive Director; Mr Ziad Dalloul, Founder of Africell; Her Excellency Mrs Clar M. Weah, First Lady of the Republic of Liberia and Her Excellency Mrs Emine Erdogan, First Lady of Turkey. The declaration by First Ladies in Africa supporting the campaign was read by H. E. Madam Jeannette Kagame, the First Lady of Rwanda. Other First Ladies in attendance were Mali, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Niger, Chad, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the height of the COVID pandemic, First Lady launched the National food basket programme to supply free bags of rice, oil, salt and other food items to every district in the country.