The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution designating November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, with the initiative led by Sierra Leone's First Lady Fatima Maada Bio following a call from civil society advocate Bhuwan Ribhu. According to UNICEF, an estimated 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year, with 650 million women and girls alive today having been married as children. Sierra Leone described the resolution as a significant step toward strengthening child protection, health, and education efforts globally.