First Ladies

"This is what some of us can afford to do, bring you here and offer you with quality education. It remains with you to make full use of it, and you shouldn't let go of it. Your families and country needs your services, pull up your socks and take your rightful positions in the society when you finish with your education."

"Until people can show me what FGM is doing in Sierra Leone, I’m not part of the conversation"

"As a proud daughter of the soil, I joined my brothers and sisters working at the Koidu Limited Mining Company in Kono Town to peacefully protest"

"Our collective action aimed to urge Koidu Limited to enhance working conditions and provide better services for all employees"

"This protest is a call to action for the company to improve the working conditions and provide better services. We believe that these demands are reasonable and essential for maintaining the well-being and dignity of workers"

"Since the beginning of the struggle, women have demonstrated an unparalleled capacity for resistance and courage. They were protagonists in the construction of a free and sovereign country, breaking stereotypes and showing that their participation was essential for Angola's independence."

"The struggle of women continues to this day, for a fair, egalitarian and inclusive society."

"The growth and strengthening of female participation in Angolan society is undeniable."

"Today, we see women in leadership positions, such as the Vice-Presidency of the Republic,in the Presidency of the Constitutional Court and in the National Assembly,which demonstrates the progress we have achieved over the years."

"Although most of the leaders during the liberation were men, some women reached leading positions within the organisations in which they had duties. They were important in the armed struggle and in the construction of a movement of Angolan female emancipation."

"It is a unique opportunity for us to celebrate and recognise the undeniable value of women in the construction of our country."

"I would like to reiterate my commitment to keep our girls in school, our women with access to decent work and families free from violence."

"It is a platform with a symbolic name to demonstrate love for children by providing them with care, access to education, and healthcare for their holistic development during our mandate."

"Education on gender equality and the fight against violence against children and youth should not just be a slogan, but a fundamental pillar of a future where no girl or boy is forced to endure the pain and scars of violence."

"It is great initiative by Merck Foundation to empower girls in education. This is Very critical for our countries to eliminate child marriage. We welcome the initiatives for Merck Foundation to our country."

"We need to exhaust our every potential of influence to uplift vulnerable group of our society"

"I touched every button, I knocked every door collaborated with many and never gave up when things were hopeless. I cannot give the details of the achievements at this juncture but can share my experiences to whoever interested if the need be in the future"

"My husband and I are committed to serve the people of Ethiopia using our organization; like wise we are committed to support with our capacity OAFLAD and our continent Africa in whatever way you want us"

"Joint efforts are needed to redirect our interventions towards high-burden regions and geographical hotspots in view of changing the epidemic trends in Ethiopia"

"It is high time that African nations put in place favourable policies and increase youth targeted investments"

"We need to lift and break the barriers faced by African youth in accessing and utilizing reproductive health information and services"

"Ethiopia is suffering from drought and water shortage, this high-tech, zero waste, no-plastic-bottle-waste water purification solution, will directly help schools and communities"

"With a collective multisectoral collaboration among all stakeholders, prevention, control and treatment of cancer is within reach and under our control"

"Ethiopia is proud of being a member of BRICS and considers the platform beyond just political engagements as it mainly involves economic development, trade and investment exchanges, technology transfer, cultural and people-to-people ties"

"Women are more concerned about nutrition than anybody else. We are happy that it is now a concern for all in the world, including men and women"

"Because of previous efforts we have made, our roles are more visible now than any other time before. To date, many initiatives are in place to deal with issues of women from global level to the grassroots. More resources are being allocated and better coordination of programmes, such as UN WOMEN and the universalisation of rights, are more evident"

"These statistics, in a nutshell, informs us that gaps remain in so many areas. In their totality, they call for more efforts to address the structural imbalances that hinder the realisation of women rights and welfare"

"I believe the report will give a befitting profile to the women and development agenda."

"We recognise, with admiration, its participation [the government] on the World Commission on Information and Accountability for Children’s and Women’s Health and the African Leaders Initiative Against Malaria (ALMA). These efforts altogether deserve special mention and our support"

"I believe you are all here today celebrating your graduation because you avoided pregnancy during your time in primary and secondary school. I therefore urge you to use the skills and experience you acquired to make sure that early pregnancies are no longer a problem that prevent your younger sisters from fulfilling their dreams"

"As a former first lady of this nation and a mother, i am proud to witness these achievements because it proves that our efforts towards provision of education are not futile."

"It saddens me to see sometimes even children under-five forced into labour, many of them are from poor families, so they do this for a living"

"Language has no borders. We need to take a front row position and become pioneers of our respective language across borders to facilitate communication."

"We need to feel pride in our language. We need to acknowledge the fact that Kiswahili bare the same value as any other language and never should we demean our language or any other culture whatsoever."

"He will tell you that he sees only you in his dreams, but when he impregnates you he will vanish, not to be seen again...Don't rush things, there is never too late in this world, we were all like you some time ago but we managed to stay focused and here we are."

"By recognizing the family as the foundation of societal well-being, we acknowledge the critical role families play in shaping the next generation."

"Empowering women is crucial in this endeavor, as they often play a pivotal role in child-rearing"

"Let us seize this moment to prioritize family strengthening and women’s empowerment, paving the way for a brighter future for Sierra Leone"

"Even during our political campaigns, there were people who used to question why was I playing such a leading role. But because of my empowerment, I was focused and determined to support my husband to become our President"

"The greatest achievement is not the number of awards you receive but the number of lives of Africans you have changed"

"If you have heard anything negative, in the past, about Sierra Leone, I am here to confidently inform you that Sierra Leone is the most beautiful country in the world"

"I call on all other African leaders to emulate what my husband has done to introduce free education for children from pre-primary to secondary school"

"This evening is about more than fellowship — it is about shaping a new world together. With partnerships like NBPA, World Shoe, and OAFLAD, we are showing that women and children will no longer be afterthoughts in development, but the very heart of it."

"You cannot take away the fact that you have more women in Africa than men, and if you’re going to deprive women in Africa to be [left] behind, then definitely, nothing is going to grow."

"The emotion is not about feeling somebody else’s pain — it’s about feeling my own pain"

"I know what it means to be a victim, and it is only by the grace of God that you find yourself in a situation like that and get out of it, and get out and become somebody"

"[At that time], the law still gave the power to the family or a guardian to give consent. So where the child says no, an adult could say yes — and they could still go ahead and marry that child off,For that reason, I decided that I’m not going to wait for policies and government."

"When you bring [this topic] up in Africa, it could immediately cost your husband his next election"

"If the people want to vote for my husband, they’ll vote for him. If they don’t want to vote for him, don’t vote for him. But what we need to say is … it’s better to be remembered for doing a good thing than to be remembered for protecting a political seat"

"I’ve said this and I continue to say it: The reason why we have the situations we have in Africa today is because of the silence,We cover our ears to what is happening to women."