By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
The recent criticism directed at Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio, over issues relating to female circumcision and culture has once again exposed a larger debate that many people continue to avoid. How do we create social change in societies with deeply rooted traditions? Do we force change overnight through pressure and humiliation or do we encourage reform through engagement, law, dialogue and patience? On this issue, I stand in support of Mrs. Fatima Bio, not because she is above criticism, not because she is perfect and not because I agree with every position she may hold, but because I believe fairness demands that we acknowledge effort where effort exists and stop pretending that difficult cultural issues can disappear with the click of a finger.
Female circumcision remains one of the most sensitive and emotional subjects in Sierra Leone and across parts of Africa. Whether one supports it or opposes it, nobody can deny that it is tied to historical traditions, social structures and identities that have existed for generations. In Sierra Leone, discussions around this issue cannot ignore the reality that for many communities these traditions became woven into identity, womanhood, belonging and social continuity. That does not mean traditions cannot change. It means change must be approached with honesty about where society currently stands.
The mistake many people make is assuming that culture can simply be cancelled from outside and communities will immediately abandon what they have known all their lives. History does not support that theory. Societies move gradually. People change slowly. Communities adapt over time. The world itself evolved through stages and reforms. No nation woke up one morning and suddenly transformed centuries of social practice overnight.
This is why I believe efforts aimed at increasing legal protections and introducing age limits and consent deserve recognition. Supporting a legal framework that increases the age to 18 and places the decision in the hands of the individual represents a practical attempt to reduce harm while allowing society to transition without unnecessary confrontation. Some will say that does not go far enough. Others will say it already goes too far. But perhaps that discomfort itself proves that compromise often sits in the middle rather than at the extremes.
For me, there is an important difference between endorsement and management of social reality. Too often people confuse acknowledging complexity with defending everything inside that complexity. One can believe a practice should reduce, evolve or disappear over time while also accepting that communities cannot simply be ordered into immediate compliance without social consequences. Real leadership requires navigating difficult roads and making decisions that produce outcomes rather than headlines.
What concerns me more is the growing tendency to celebrate humiliation instead of encouraging solutions. Public figures are criticised, attacked and reduced into symbols of every problem in society while their humanity disappears. Mrs. Fatima Bio is a public figure and criticism comes with public life, but criticism should never become humiliation. We cannot demand leadership and then destroy people every time they express views that do not fit neatly into international expectations.
There was particular disappointment in seeing moments where some appeared more interested in celebrating embarrassment than creating understanding. That should concern all of us. Today it may be the First Lady. Tomorrow it may be another leader, activist, traditional figure or ordinary citizen. Once public humiliation becomes entertainment, society loses its ability to have serious conversations.
Too often African societies are treated as though change should only happen according to external timelines and external approval. We are told to modernise but rarely given space to determine how that process should happen within our own realities. That approach frequently produces resistance instead of progress. Communities become defensive and difficult conversations become impossible. Reform that survives is usually reform people feel they participated in creating.
Africa has always had the burden of explaining itself to others while rarely being given equal space to explain its internal realities. We should reject that imbalance. Respect does not mean refusing change. Respect means allowing communities to participate in shaping their future. We must never confuse engagement with surrender or criticism with hatred.
None of this means culture should never be questioned. Every society must reflect on itself. Every generation must ask difficult questions. Practices should always be examined through the lens of dignity, protection and progress. But if the objective is truly to protect girls and women, then our focus should be on outcomes rather than applause. If laws help reduce coercion, if awareness helps people make informed choices and if society gradually moves toward healthier practices, then that should matter more than public theatre.
We should also recognise that women in Sierra Leone are not voiceless. Sierra Leonean women have always shaped homes, traditions, economies and politics. They are not waiting to be discovered by the world. Any conversation about cultural change must include their agency and recognise that transformation led by communities often lasts longer than transformation imposed from above.
Another point worth making is the conversation around political ambition. Increasingly there are discussions and speculation around future leadership in Sierra Leone and whether Mrs. Fatima Bio may one day seek higher office. My view is straightforward. If she intends to become President of Sierra Leone one day, that is entirely her democratic right. Leadership is not inherited. It is not owned by individuals or families. Politics exists to allow citizens to compete with ideas and seek the confidence of the people.
If she wishes to lead, she must pass through party processes, including the SLPP electoral college, and eventually through the judgment of the Sierra Leonean people. That is how democracy works. Nobody should be prevented from aspiring simply because others disagree with them. We cannot advocate for women’s leadership and then become uncomfortable when women show political ambition.
In fact, I openly say that I too aspire to become President of Sierra Leone in 2028 if given the opportunity. That statement is not entitlement. It is belief in citizenship and service. The people decide who leads. Elections decide. Political structures decide. Public confidence decides.
As Sierra Leoneans, our conversations must mature beyond outrage and public embarrassment. We should debate policy. We should debate development. We should debate women’s rights, education, economic growth and how culture evolves in a changing world. We should challenge leaders when necessary and support good ideas wherever they emerge. But we should stop celebrating humiliation as though it is a national achievement.
Mrs. Fatima Bio, like every public figure, will continue to attract criticism and praise. That is normal. But let us judge fairly, speak honestly and remember that lasting change rarely comes through humiliation. It comes through courage, conversation and the willingness of people to move forward together. Sierra Leone deserves that maturity and future generations deserve those conversations.
