Fatima Bio Removed from Cambridge Women’s Conference Over Support for FGM

The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Jabbe-Bio, has been removed from the speaker lineup of a global women’s empowerment conference following intense backlash from women’s rights campaigners and survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM).

“The decision to provide a prestigious platform to a political figure who appears unwilling to unequivocally oppose FGM sends a deeply troubling message. It risks undermining the efforts of frontline activists and survivors who are fighting every day to ensure that the next generation of girls can grow up free from violence and coercion.”