ThewifeofPresidentBarackObamaisonafive-daytriptoAsia.FirstLadyMichelleObamaisvisitingJapanandCambodiatohelppublicizeanObamaadministrationprogramcalled“LetGirlsLearn.”Administrationofficialssetupthecampaigntosupporttheeducationofmillionsofgirlsworldwide.
Beforehertrip,Mrs.Obamaandherhusbandnotedtheinabilityofanestimated62-milliongirlstoattendschool.Theysaideducatingthegirlsshouldbeaforeignpolicygoal.
Thisweek,“TheWallStreetJournal”newspaperpublishedanopinionpiecebyFirstLadyMichelleObama.Herpiececriticizedthefactthattensofmillionsofgirlsarenotreceivingasatisfactoryeducation.
Mrs.Obamawrotethatthisfailuretoeducategirlsismorethan“atragicwasteofpotential.”Shesaiditisbothaseriouspublichealthissueandaproblemfortheeconomichealthofnationsandtheworld.Shealsosaiditwas“athreattothesecurityofcountriesaroundtheworld.”
TheFirstLadynotedthatby2012,everypartofthedevelopingworldwaseducatingbothgirlsandboysinprimaryschools.Butshesaidthisisnotthecaseinsecondaryeducation.Mrs.Obamawrotethat,insomeareas,girlsface“theculturalvaluesandpracticesthatdefineandlimittheprospectsofwomenintheirsocieties.”
TheObamaadministrationlaunchedthe“LetGirlsLearn”campaignearlierthismonth.Atthetime,Mrs.ObamanotedplanstoinvolvetheU.S.PeaceCorps,thevolunteerdevelopmentagency.
“Thiseffortwilldrawonthetalentandenergyofthenearly7,000PeaceCorpsvolunteersservinginmorethan60countries.Throughthiseffort,PeaceCorpswillbesupportinghundredsofnewcommunityprojectstohelpgirlsgotoschoolandstayinschool.And,Iwanttoemphasizethattheseprogramswillbecommunity-generatedandcommunity-led.Theywillbebasedonsolutionsdevisedbylocalleaders,familiesandyes,eventhegirlsthemselves.”
PresidentObamaspokeatthesameWhiteHouseevent.Hesaidthecampaignisimportanttohisadministration.
U.S.firstladyMichelleObama,right,isgreetedbyanunidentifiedJapaneseofficialuponherarrivalatHanedaInternationalAirportinTokyoWednesday,March18,2015.(APPhoto/ShizuoKambayashi)
“Weknowthat,whengirlsareeducated,they’remorelikelytodelaymarriage.Theirfuturechildren,asaconsequence,aremorelikelytobehealthyandbetternourished.Theirfuturewagesincrease,which,inturn,strengthensthesecurityoftheirfamily,andnationalgrowthgetsaboostaswell.Fromapoliticalstandpointandasecuritystandpoint,placeswherewomenandgirlsaretreatedasfullandequalcitizenstendtobemorestable,tendtobemoredemocratic.So,thisisnotjustahumanitarianissue.Thisisaneconomicissueanditisasecurityissue,andthat’swhyithastobeaforeignpolicypriority.”
Mrs.Obama’sfirststoponherAsiantripisJapan.ThePeaceCorpsandasimilargroupinJapan--called“OverseasCooperationVolunteers”--willworktogetheronthecampaign.
FromJapan,Mrs.ObamatravelstoCambodia.EvanMedeirosistheseniordirectorforAsiaaffairsattheU.S.NationalSecurityCouncilinCambodia.Hesaysduringhervisit,Mrs.Obamaplanstonotetheneedforanopenpoliticalsystem.Shewillalsotalkabouttheneedtoletcivilsocietyhaveasayingoodgovernance.
PhilRobertsonisthedeputyAsiadirectorforHumanRightsWatch.HesaysCambodiahasmuchworktodotoensureallofitsgirlsareeducated.
PhilRobertsonsaysmanyofthegirlsaredriventothefactoriesbecauseofalackoffoodathome.Therightsreportsaysmanyyoungwomenmayfacesexualpressureonthejobanddiscriminationiftheybecomepregnant.
Cambodiaisoneof11countriespartneringintheLetGirlsLearnCampaign.TheothersareAlbania,Benin,BurkinaFaso,Georgia,Ghana,Moldova,Mongolia,Mozambique,TogoandUganda.
I’mMarshaJames.
VictorBeattiereportedthisstoryfromWashington.MarshaJameswroteitforVOALearningEnglish.ChristopherJones-Cruisewastheeditor.
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WordsinThisStory
tragic–adj.involvingverysadorseriousissues
gender–n.thestateofbeingamaleorfemale
devise–v.toinventorplan(somethingthatisdifficultorcomplicated);todevelop
consequence–n.resultorresults
DoofficialsinyourcountrysupporttheeducationofgirlsWewanttohearfromyou.Writetousinthecommentssection.