Not one to shy away from her passion for the continued education of young girls, the First Lady penned an exclusive essay for The Atlantic addressing her Let Girls Learn initiative.
Throughout the powerful prose, Mrs. Obama addresses why there needs to be a call to action to fund the education of young girls in conflict zones and poverty stricken environments.
“Right now, 62 million girls worldwide are not in school. They’re receiving no formal education at all—no reading, no writing, no math—none of the basic skills they need to provide for themselves and their families, and contribute fully to their countries,” she writes.
The initiative, which was launched last spring by the President and Mrs. Obama, has a global focus on providing funds for scholarships, community education projects like leadership camps, safe transportation to and from schools and attempts to change the societal conversation regarding menstruation.
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“I’ll be urging countries around the world to both make new investments in girls’ education and challenge laws and practices that silence, demean, and brutalize women—from female genital mutilation and cutting, to forced child marriage, to laws that allow marital rape and disadvantage women in the workplace.”
While Mrs. Obama understands that the necessary changes won’t come with swiftness or ease as her time in the White House draws to a close, she will remain a vocal advocate for the advancement of female education.
“As a first lady, a mother, and a human being, I cannot walk away from these girls, and I plan to keep raising my voice on their behalf for the rest of my life,” she says. “And I plan to keep talking about this issue here at home, because I believe that all of us—men and women, in every country on this planet—have a moral obligation to give all of these girls a future worthy of their promise and their dreams.”