Michelle Obama yesterday visited a London school to inspire a new generation of children to stand up for girls’ right to education.
The American First Lady pledged that the UK and US will work together to ensure more teenage girls across the world make it to school.
Obama said it was a “heartbreaking injustice” that 62mn girls worldwide are not in lessons, adding: “Girls’ education is a global issue that requires a global solution.”
She joined International Development Secretary Justine Greening, who announced a joint American and British project to fund girls’ education in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 180mn five-year scheme will focus partly on helping girls in conflict areas who are not at school and on tackling sexual violence and intimidation in the classroom.
Greening urged schoolchildren at the event at Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets – and those in the rest of London – to speak out on behalf of girls in countries where females are denied an education. She said: “We want to see girls speaking up for girls. The more that can happen – not just in the UK and US but worldwide – that’s part of how we will get things changed.”
Obama, her daughters Malia and Sasha and mother Marian Robinson arrived at Stansted airport UK on Monday night and were greeted by US military families.
Prince Harry met Obama and her family at Kensington Palace. The palace said he was “very pleased to host The First Lady” and they discussed “their shared interest in support for veterans and their families”.
The US president’s wife is also meeting Prime Minister David Cameron during her two-day visit to the UK.
Since an emotional visit to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson school in Islington in 2009, Obama has launched her Let Girls Learn campaign to expand girls’ education around the world, and made it her personal cause as First Lady.
One third of the money announced for the Democratic Republic of Congo
yesterday will be paid for by the department for international development and two-thirds by USAID.
The money will help give 450,000 children in the DRC the chance to get a primary school education and help almost 1.4mn girls and boys learn to read.
Obama was welcomed to Mulberry School by headteacher Vanessa Ogden and greeted by students waving flags. The choir at the comprehensive school sang “Something inside so strong” as the First Lady was presented with flowers and two students read the poem “Still I rise” by Maya Angelou.
Obama, who wore a Paisley print dress by London-based Greek designer Mary Katrantzou, said: “This school is an amazing example of what you can do around this issue. All it takes is to walk into that courtyard and hear the voices of the young women standing tall and strong and smart. I meet girls like this everywhere I go round the world. That is who we are fighting for.”
Pupils were later given the chance to question the First Lady, former prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard, who chairs the board of the Global Partnership for Education.
As well as the 180mn DRC project, Obama announced that the US and UK would collaborate on new research to determine the best ways to educate adolescent girls.
She said that children in the UK who do not enjoy going to school could learn to appreciate the education they have by getting involved in the campaign.
The post U.S. Presidents Wife Says Stand up for Girl Power appeared first on Live Trading News.