Sierra Leone's first lady Fatima Maada Bio has denied supporting female genital mutilation (FGM) amid growing anger over her perceived approval of the practice. However, in an exclusive response to the Guardian, she stated she would not openly condemn FGM until she sees 'reliable data' demonstrating its harm.
Open Letter Raises Concerns
A group of health professionals, survivors, human rights activists, and politicians has written to the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (Oaflad) to express concerns. Sent on 10 June, the letter demands clarification on public statements made by Maada Bio, who currently serves as president of Oaflad.
More than 20 signatories, including Amy Smythe, former minister of gender and children's affairs in Sierra Leone, and Isha Dyfan, a human rights lawyer and UN expert, warned that 'perceptions of support for FGM, whether direct or indirect, risk undermining years of advocacy and creating misalignment with national, regional and international commitments.'
Controversy Over Council Flat and Comments
Maada Bio, 45, a former film producer and actor who fled to the UK as a teenager to escape child marriage, has also faced controversy for continuing to rent a council flat in Southwark, London, for her children, who are British citizens. Southwark council confirmed it had repossessed the flat this week.
An advocate for women's rights and against child marriage, Maada Bio leads the 'Hands off our girls' campaign in Sierra Leone. Yet, since her husband President Julius Maada Bio was elected in 2018, she has refused to condemn FGM.
FGM in Sierra Leone
FGM, the partial or total removal of external female genitalia, can cause serious long-term health consequences, including infertility. It is considered a grave human rights violation, and the UN General Assembly passed a resolution for a global ban in 2012. Sierra Leone has one of the highest FGM rates worldwide, with the proportion of women cut decreasing from 90% in 2013 to 83% in 2019; 71% were subjected to the practice before age 15.
There is no law criminalising FGM in Sierra Leone. It is often part of a ritual marking a girl's entry into womanhood, performed by women known as sowei of the Bondo and Sande societies. Every year, women and children suffer health complications, and some die, from such rituals.
Survivor and Activist Reactions
Ranya Kargbo, a senior UN professional and FGM survivor who signed the letter, expressed concern about Maada Bio's recent public appearance where she was filmed being supportive of FGM practitioners. 'When you are in a leadership position, your words matter,' Kargbo said. 'When she told the soweis not to be afraid and that she stands with them, those were powerful words from the highest office. It is an absolute slap in the face for all of us.'
Maada Bio said her comments were taken out of context and intended to encourage dialogue with women who felt marginalised. In a statement to the Guardian, she added: 'I am not in favour of any form of circumcision that is forced upon an individual.' She said she is 'not using her voice to campaign either in favour of or against circumcision' and, as a circumcised woman, expects reliable data on the extent of harm caused by FGM in Sierra Leone.
Social Media Posts Spark Outrage
Last week, Maada Bio posted an article from September 2025 on her Facebook page, titled 'Harms of the current global anti-FGM campaign,' published in the BMJ Journal of Medical Ethics, which argued that a 'standard tale' obscures the diversity of practices and experiences. She named prominent anti-FGM campaigners like Nimco Ali and Anita Koroma, writing 'they do nothing for our country' and calling them 'scammers.'
Maada Bio told the Guardian her comments were not directed at survivors or genuine workers but at individuals who misrepresented her position.
Legal and Political Context
In 2024, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice described FGM as 'one of the worst forms of violence against women' meeting the threshold for torture, ordering Sierra Leone to criminalise it. President Bio, who became ECOWAS chair weeks earlier, never acknowledged the ruling publicly. In October 2025, he signed the Child Rights Act 2025 into law without addressing FGM.
