In Pictures: The First Lady’s Trip to Africa and Spain
Imagine being told that you are not allowed to go to school. Imagine being told that an education — one of the most fundamental building blocks for a healthy, long, and fulfilling life — is simply not an option for you. It’s hard, right? But, for millions of girls around the world, it’s a reality. In fact, more than 62 million girls — half of them adolescents — are not in school. Millions more are fighting just to stay there.
These girls deserve a chance to fulfill their potential. All girls deserve that chance.
“A society’s willingness to value women and girls is directly connected to its willingness to invest in them as full people.” — First Lady Michelle Obama, June 30, 2016
That’s why, as part of the Let Girls Learn initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Liberia, Morocco, and Spain to meet with young women and girls — and to talk about why getting an education is something that every girl deserves.
Around the world, girls face complex physical, cultural, and financial barriers to education. She may have a long, unsafe walk to school from a remote village. Sometimes, even when a school is nearby, it may not have adequate bathroom facilities for girls-meaning that female students have to stay home when they have their period. And, even after overcoming all of these obstacles, she may face school fees that her family is unwilling or cannot afford to pay.
Yet, we know that educating young girls has a tremendously positive impact on the world. Girls who are educated earn higher salaries, raise healthier families, and can even boost their countries’ economies with their contributions to the workforce. That’s why, when girls receive equal educational opportunities, it can transform lives, families, communities-entire countries. That’s why the stories of the girls the First Lady is meeting with this week are so important to share.
Take a look at her trip in pictures:
