In Ethiopia, Dr. Biden Highlights Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment
Dr. Biden started off her three-country visit to Africa to highlight girls and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia.
On Sunday morning, Dr. Biden met “Lucy” at the Ethiopian National Museum. Lucy is over 3 million years old, and her bone fossils represent 40 percent of the skeleton of the Australopithecus afarensis species. Her Ethiopian name ‘Dinknesh’ is the Amharic term for ‘You are marvelous.’
Afterwards, Dr. Biden toured an art exhibit featuring the work of Ethiopian American artist Julie Mehretu at the Modern Art Museum Gebre Kristos Desta Center. This exhibit is Mehretu’s first show in Ethiopia and features 17 of her paintings.
In the afternoon, Dr. Biden deliver remarks at the first ever Girls Can Code graduation in Ethiopia. Launched in 2015, the Girls Can Code program is a yearlong program that teaches high school girls skills such as computer coding, and other skills that develop and promote interest in the STEM fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. During the graduation, Dr. Biden announced that the U.S. Embassy will be expanding Girls Can Code to four new cities in Ethiopia — meaning that an additional 200 female students will have access to the Girls Can Code program.
“You are already making a difference in your own life and in the lives of your family members. Continue to challenge yourselves to make a difference in your school, your communities, and your country. You’re trailblazers. You’re leading the way for the generations of students who come after you. As you have found mentors here, be a mentor for other.” — Dr. Biden to the first graduating class of the “Girls Can Code” program in Ethiopia.
In the evening, Dr. Biden attended a reception at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence with women leaders from different sectors of Ethiopian society. These women included members of the cabinet, parliamentary leaders, entrepreneurs, social activists, and members of the cultural community. Dr. Biden met Christine Yohannes, an Ethiopian poet, who read one of her poem’s at the reception and later this year will participate in the U.S. Department of State’s 2016 International Writer’s Workshop with the prestigious Iowa Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa.
On Sunday morning, Dr. Biden visited the International Organization for Migration Transit Center. Ethiopia is home to roughly 730,000 refugees — the largest number of refugees on the African continent. At this transit center, Dr. Biden was able to learn more about the refugee resettlement process in Ethiopia, and meet with refugees who are currently in the resettlement process to hear firsthand how refugee resettlement is providing an opportunity for families to build new lives in the United States.
Dr. Biden is now wheels up en route to Blantyre, Malawi. Stay tuned for more updates from the road!
