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In Japan, Michelle Obama decries ‘injustice’ of girls being kept out of school In Japan, Michelle Obama decries ‘injustice’ of girls not being educated
(about 3 hours later)
TOKYO –First Lady Michelle Obama, saying it’s an “injustice” that 62 million girls around the world are not in school, joined forces with her Japanese counterpart, Akie Abe, Thursday, saying they would together promote education for girls in developing countries. TOKYO —First lady Michelle Obama, saying it’s an “injustice” that 62 million girls around the world are not in school, joined forces with her Japanese counterpart, Akie Abe, on Thursday, saying they would together promote education for girls in developing countries.
Meeting with young women from Japanese universities and high schools, Obama recounted her own journey from a working class neighborhood in Chicago to Princeton, and encouraged them to pay attention to education at home and to dream big too. Meeting with young women from Japanese universities and high schools, Obama recounted her own journey from a working class neighborhood in Chicago to Princeton and encouraged them to pay attention to education at home and to dream big, too.
“I’m sitting here with my good friend in Japan [and] with all of you, and we have the opportunity to change the world,” the First Lady said, sitting in a circle with the students and Abe - who wrote her master’s thesis on education in Myanmar – and U.S. ambassador Caroline Kennedy. “You can do that too, and so can the 62 million girls out there who aren’t getting their education.” “I’m sitting here with my good friend in Japan [and] with all of you, and we have the opportunity to change the world,” the first lady said, sitting in a circle with the students and Abe — who wrote her master’s thesis on education in Myanmar — and U.S. ambassador Caroline Kennedy. “You can do that, too, and so can the 62 million girls out there who aren’t getting their education.”
Japanese women are among the best educated in the world but often struggle to work their way up the career ladder in a country that values long days at work and long nights of drinking with colleagues. The Abe administration has made increasing female participation in the workforce a key part of its plan to revive the Japanese economy.Japanese women are among the best educated in the world but often struggle to work their way up the career ladder in a country that values long days at work and long nights of drinking with colleagues. The Abe administration has made increasing female participation in the workforce a key part of its plan to revive the Japanese economy.
Obama’s solo trip – her first visit to Japan – was part of her effort to promote the “Let Girls Learn” initiative that she and President Obama announced earlier this month. Obama’s solo trip — her first visit to Japan — was part of her effort to promote the “Let Girls Learn” initiative that she and President Obama announced this month.
The women selected to meet Obama Thursday sat nervously in a formal guest house decorated with elaborate flower arrangements as they waited to discuss ways to promote education with the First Lady. She soon put them at ease, bursting out laughing when realizing, after a lengthy introductory spiel, that she’d forgotten to stop and wait for her remarks to be translated. The women selected to meet Obama on Thursday sat nervously in a formal guest house decorated with elaborate flower arrangements as they waited to discuss ways to promote education with the first lady. She soon put them at ease, bursting out laughing when realizing, after a lengthy introductory spiel, that she’d forgotten to stop and wait for her remarks to be translated.
In a country where dark suits are the uniform of students and office workers alike, Obama stood out in a bold, flowery red-and-white skirt suit.In a country where dark suits are the uniform of students and office workers alike, Obama stood out in a bold, flowery red-and-white skirt suit.
The First Lady was joined on the road by Michelle Phan, an entrepreneur and popular YouTube make-up artist who has a huge following in Asia and was chronicling the trip on social media. The first lady was joined on the road by Michelle Phan, an entrepreneur and popular YouTube makeup artist who has a huge following in Asia and was chronicling the trip on social media.
"Who agrees it's time to help more girls around the world get the education they deserve?" Phan tweeted on the eve of the event, in a message that was retweeted and favorited hundreds of times."Who agrees it's time to help more girls around the world get the education they deserve?" Phan tweeted on the eve of the event, in a message that was retweeted and favorited hundreds of times.
To support the Let Girls Learn initiative, the president’s 2016 budget request includes $250 million in new and reallocated funds and Japan, one of Asia’s richest countries and the largest aid donor in the region, has pledged $340 million from 2015 for girls’ empowerment and gender-sensitive education.To support the Let Girls Learn initiative, the president’s 2016 budget request includes $250 million in new and reallocated funds and Japan, one of Asia’s richest countries and the largest aid donor in the region, has pledged $340 million from 2015 for girls’ empowerment and gender-sensitive education.
For the U.S. part, Peace Corps volunteers will work with local leaders and families in developing countries to help girls go to school and stay in school. The Japanese equivalent of the Peace Corps – Japan’s Overseas CooperationVolunteers – will do the same. For the U.S. part, Peace Corps volunteers will work with local leaders and families in developing countries to help girls go to school and stay in school. The Japanese equivalent of the Peace Corps — Japan’s Overseas CooperationVolunteers — will do the same.
Obama said she was “incredibly excited” about the partnership between the United States and Japan “because I think our countries are in a very strong position to be able to reach out and help developing countries”. Obama said she was “incredibly excited” about the partnership between the United States and Japan “because I think our countries are in a very strong position to be able to reach out and help developing countries.”
Eleven countries will initially be targeted, including Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia. Obama will travel there Friday night to meet Bun Rany, her Cambodian counterpart, and hear from high school students how they benefit from community-led programs.Eleven countries will initially be targeted, including Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia. Obama will travel there Friday night to meet Bun Rany, her Cambodian counterpart, and hear from high school students how they benefit from community-led programs.
But while the barriers to girls getting education in many countries was usually considered to be an economic issue, Obama said that it was “also about attitudes and beliefs”. But while the barriers to girls getting an education in many countries was usually considered to be an economic issue, Obama said that it was “also about attitudes and beliefs.”
“It’s about whether fathers – and mothers – think their daughters are as worthy of an education as their sons. It’s about whether communities value girls simply for their bodies, for their household labor, their reproductive capacities, or whether they value girls for their minds as well,” she said. “And if we’re being honest with ourselves, we have to admit that these kinds of challenges aren’t just limited to the developing world.” “It’s about whether fathers — and mothers — think their daughters are as worthy of an education as their sons. It’s about whether communities value girls simply for their bodies, for their household labor, their reproductive capacities, or whether they value girls for their minds as well,” she said. “And if we’re being honest with ourselves, we have to admit that these kinds of challenges aren’t just limited to the developing world.”
While inTokyo, Obama also had tea with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in their minimalist residence at the Imperial Palace, and paid a visit to Shinzo Abe, the prime minister. While in Tokyo, Obama also had tea with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in their minimalist residence at the Imperial Palace and paid a visit to Shinzo Abe, the prime minister.
She will tour a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan famed for its traditional architecture, Friday before heading to Cambodia. She will tour a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan famed for its traditional architecture, on Friday before heading to Cambodia.
Daniela Deane contributed to this report.Daniela Deane contributed to this report.