“The future of our world is only as bright as our girls.”
The statement serves as the slogan for the Obama Foundation’s newest endeavor called Global Girls Alliance. The launch was announced by Michelle Obama on October 11, which is the International Day of the Girl.
There are almost 98 million of girls in the world that do not attend school. The reasons ranging from experiencing gender-based violence to being child brides. Young girls may be convinced that they do not deserve to be educated.
In her op-ed for CNN, the former First Lady addressed this concern: “Equally pernicious is something they’re taught from an early age—the belief that because they’re girls, they’re simply unworthy of an education. It’s the same toxic mindset that keeps girls here in the United States from believing they can become computer scientists or CEOs. And it’s the mindset that together, we’ve got to change.”
The goal of the alliance, as stated by Obama, is to “empower adolescent girls around the world through education, so that they can support their families, communities and countries.” They recognize the incredible efforts by other international organizations and therefore plan to team up with them as well as grassroot leaders to continue paving the way for young girls. As the different groups and individuals work together, they are bound to accomplish more as a whole.
“We’ve partnered up with GoFundMe to create a new social fundraising platform at GlobalGirlsAlliance.org/donate,” Obama wrote. “A place where anyone, anywhere around the world, can support girls in place like India, Guatemala, or Uganda.”
The project also aims to inform more people about the cause, in hopes of encouraging them to become an ally and assist in fighting for girls’ right to education in order to improve their lives.
According to USAID, financially supporting in a girl’s future will go far and beyond because she will multiply that investment “by extending benefits to the world around her, creating a better life for her family and building a strong community,” which Obama emphasizes through the latest initiative by the Obama Foundation.
Global Girls Alliance believe that girls should not be deprived of opportunities because they deserve “to fulfill their potential and pursue their dreams.”