President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady have been criticized for boycotting this year’s Women’s Day celebration. This is in spite of his government’s tremendous efforts in protecting and empowering women and young girls. The year’s Women’s Day celebration is the first since President Julius Maada Bio came to power.
Addressing women, in absentia, from Massachusetts in the United States of America, where he is currently visiting on the invitation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, President Bio lauded the tremendous efforts by his government in protecting, securing and empowering women and girls in the country.
President Bio noted that his Government cannot afford to exclude women from his development agenda as they constitute 51% of the population. He outlined his government’s declaration of a national emergency on rape and also efforts in constructing the first cancer hospital and care centre, among others.
This year’s celebration was almost a low key affair compared to previous celebrations under the previous regime. This, according to many, was largely because the President, First Lady, Chief Minister and other senior government officials had left the country on a trip to the United States of America.
A senior member of a renowned women’s group in the country told this medium, on condition of anonymity, that government has treated the celebration with complete levity. She praised the former government of President Koroma for putting resources and also attaching high importance to the celebrations.
Even members within the SLPP have criticized the President for embarking on an overseas trip when an important celebration like this is going on in the country.
They noted that it could have been an opportunity for him, the First Lady and his government to showcase what they have done so far with regards pushing for women’s empowerment and social protection.
Opposition detractors have branded the President as someone that cannot visit the United States of America except on United Nations Meetings and hence the opportunity to visit the United States this time was a privilege the President could not afford to miss.