Dr. Fatima Maada Bio Clarifies Withdrawal from Cambridge Women’s Forum Amid FGM Controversy

By JarranewsTV Staff Reporter

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE – Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Her Excellency Madam Fatima Maada Bio, has issued a detailed public statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding her withdrawal from a women’s empowerment event scheduled to take place at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, following widespread reports that she had been removed from the list of speakers due to pressure from anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) campaigners.

Speaking in a video message addressed to the public, the First Lady rejected suggestions that she had been formally barred from participating in the event. Instead, she explained that she personally decided to withdraw after discovering what she described as inconsistencies regarding the nature and organization of the programme.

According to Madam Bio, her involvement with the organizers began in September 2025 when Dr. Ebufori Ken-Giami and her team invited her to New York to receive an award in recognition of her work in Sierra Leone, across Africa, and internationally, particularly in advancing the rights and welfare of women and girls.

The First Lady said she accepted the invitation and attended the event, where she joined other prominent First Ladies from the Caribbean and South America who were also honoured for their contributions. Following the ceremony, she said the organizers approached her office again with plans to host a Global Women’s Forum in the United Kingdom and expressed a strong desire for her participation as a keynote speaker.

Madam Bio explained that while she approved her office’s engagement with the organizers, she was not directly involved in the planning process. She noted that the dates of the programme were adjusted several times to accommodate her schedule due to the organizers’ insistence on securing her attendance.

However, concerns began to emerge when she started receiving communications from a British newspaper seeking comments regarding her position on Female Genital Mutilation. The First Lady said she was particularly displeased with what she considered the tone of the correspondence, describing it as disrespectful and inappropriate.

These developments prompted her to conduct her own inquiries into the event. During this process, she said she discovered that the programme was not officially organized by Cambridge University, as she had initially understood. Rather, she claimed the organizers had merely rented a venue at the university.

Following this discovery, Madam Bio said she instructed her team to investigate further. Additional concerns arose when organizers informed her that anti-FGM campaigners were allegedly planning protests against her participation and had called for her removal from the programme.

The First Lady stated that the mixed messages and uncertainty surrounding the event ultimately led her to decide that attending would not be in her best interest. She subsequently informed Sierra Leone’s diplomatic representatives in the United Kingdom of her intention to withdraw from the forum.

Before making her final decision, Madam Bio said she requested information about the individuals and groups campaigning against her participation. She claimed that many of the campaigners identified were individuals she associates with Sierra Leone’s main opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC).

The First Lady accused some of her critics of using the FGM issue as a political tool to attack her personally rather than focusing on genuine advocacy. She argued that many of those criticizing her had never supported her initiatives against rape, child marriage, period poverty, and other social issues affecting women and girls in Sierra Leone.

Addressing allegations that she supports Female Genital Mutilation, Madam Bio firmly denied ever endorsing the practice. She emphasized that she has never publicly declared support for FGM. However, she maintained that she would not align herself with certain anti-FGM groups because she questions their motives and effectiveness.

According to the First Lady, some campaigners have failed to engage key stakeholders within Sierra Leone and have not approached her office to present research, data, or proposals related to combating FGM. She further alleged that some organizations focus more on securing international funding than on conducting meaningful advocacy within the country.

Madam Bio stressed that her record in public service speaks for itself and that she does not require international platforms to validate her work. She argued that her contributions to women’s empowerment, education, health, and social welfare are already well documented.

Concluding her remarks, the First Lady reaffirmed that her decision to withdraw from the Cambridge event was entirely voluntary. She stated that she had no interest in participating in what she described as a controversial and misrepresented programme and encouraged those seeking public platforms to create opportunities of their own rather than targeting her.

The controversy surrounding the event has reignited debate both within Sierra Leone and internationally regarding the country’s approach to FGM, women’s rights advocacy, and the role of public officials in addressing sensitive cultural issues.

The organizers of the Global Women’s Forum and the anti-FGM campaign groups mentioned by the First Lady had not publicly responded to her remarks at the time of publication.