Creating A Child Marriage Free World

The Office of H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of OAFLAD, together with Just Rights for Children International and the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone, in partnership with the World Jurist Association and Jurists for Children Worldwide, invite you to Creating A Child Marriage Free World: Building the Case for Prevention, Protection and Prosecution.

• H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone
• Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative to the Secretary General on Violence Against Children
• Mr. Javier Cremades, President, World Jurist Association
• Mr. Bhuwan Ribhu, Founder, Just Rights for Children

• Champion for Children: Child Marriage Awardee H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone

In 2024, nearly 1 in every 5 young women were married before their 18th birthday. The UN has estimated that it will take 300 years to end child marriage, which is nothing but another form of child rape and sexual abuse.

We know that the end of child marriage is not some distant dream but is within our reach. Several governments are leading the way, with bold actions to eliminate child marriage that are delivering significant results and accelerating the creation of a child marriage free world.

The event will share learnings from countries leading the way and will focus on the importance of investing in the rule of law and ensuring that justice is not an afterthought but rather the foundation that shields every child from harm and ensures every system is accountable.