And I’m so proud that you all are here. And tonight, I just want to say to all of you that your journeys, that your achievements and your very presence in this room are a perfect illustration of the progress that we’ve made since this day was first celebrated 100 years ago. Women's Day Special: Life lessons from Michelle Obama. And today, we want to celebrate all of the wonderful progress we’ve made and the momentum we’re seeing around girls’ education across the globe. This is an exciting, exciting day -- exciting. “Creating new jobs and new opportunities in a fiercely competitive world demands policies that encourage and support American innovation and ingenuity. MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, my goodness. Together we [can] make a difference.”. Michelle Obama Marks International Women's Day with Surprise School Visit and Call to 'Embrace Immigrants'. And that is why women and girls are a core focus of America’s engagement with the world, including our diplomatic and development work, and our work to prevent and respond to conflict. Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters Michelle Obama speaks during the second day of the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago on Nov. 1, 2017. But the fact is that right now, today, so many of these rights are under threat from all sides, always at risk of being rolled back if we let our guard down for a single minute. So we still have work to do. The Girl Scouts are getting in on the action as well by creating a Global Action badge that girls can earn by learning about girls’ education. You all know better than just about anyone that change is hard, and change is slow. Our #62MillionGirls hashtag was the number-one hashtag in the U.S., with people across the country talking about the power of education. And let’s be clear, this issue isn’t just personal to women. They’re doing it all. You see, in my lifetime -– and I’m not that old -– it was perfectly legal for employers to discriminate against women. And I hope you all are having just a lot of fun here this evening. Thank you all. It’s also about attitudes and beliefs -– the belief that girls simply aren’t worthy of an education; that women should have no role outside the home; that their bodies aren’t their own, their minds don’t really matter, and their voices simply shouldn’t be heard. So thank you all for your commitment. The former first lady recently interviewed four young women from around the world for an International Women’s Day feature for Refinery29 . We’re serving at the highest levels of government and the armed forces. You think we can get this done? Michelle Obama is back with more great life advice . I know we are all up to the task. Many of you might not win the battles you’re fighting or see the progress you’re fighting for in your lifetimes. Every woman will relate to these wise words of wisdom from the former First Lady. As we all know, it’s enriched the life of this nation. Because these girls are our girls. We as a nation benefit from their intelligence, from their hard work, from their creativity, from their leadership. We’re in this together. We are lucky to have someone like her in this administration, and the President and I are very lucky to have her as a friend. Hey. In today’s article, we’re listing five things that Michelle Obama has done for women. The ability to read, write, and analyze; the confidence to stand up and demand justice and equality; the qualifications and connections to get your foot in that door and take your seat at that table -- all of that starts with education. I have to start by thanking Ambassador Power –- another strong woman leader, as you heard -- for that wonderful, kind, generous introduction, but more importantly, for her extraordinary work to promote human dignity, human rights across the globe. And like many of you, as a woman, I take all of this personally. And as more opportunities have become open to women, that hasn’t just enriched our own lives. All right, rest yourselves. But most of all, I want to thank all of you for your tremendous leadership on behalf of girls around the world. And while we’ve made some important strides, all of you in this room know better than anyone else that this work is far from finished. Because there is so much that students like you can do to make a real difference on girls’ education. ... and we’re hearing these exact same things every day … Enjoy. Thank you for your passion. Time and again, we have seen that countries across the globe are more prosperous, they’re more peaceful when women are more equal and have the rights and opportunities they deserve. We are proud of you. Michelle Obama is the first lady of the United States under the Obama administration. We have to thank them for that inspirational performance as well. https://madamenoire.com/1183514/michelle-obama-dnc-speech-joe-biden-trump We’ve got a lot to do. (Laughter.) That kind of commitment that companies are announcing today, you can be a part of making it happen. Michelle Obama — American First Lady born on January 17, 1964, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is an American lawyer and writer. Girls in Cambodia who wake up hours before dawn, ride their bikes for miles just to get to school. That’s why we continue our work here at home to bring women into fields like math and science. They look straight into those cameras and they proudly explain who they want to be –- doctors and teachers, forces for change in their countries. We are celebrating you all today. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. You see, they know that education is their only path to self-sufficiency. Kids across the U.S. are learning about these girls and they’re embracing this issue as their own. And I do look forward to continuing our work together in the months and years to come. But before we get started, I just wanted to briefly express my sadness over the passing of former First Lady Nancy Reagan. And on International Women's Day, her firm stances were on full display, in a beautiful way. These girls risk everything -– the rejection of their communities, the violation of their bodies -– everything, just to go to school each day. At a school in Wisconsin, students raised $594 from their friends and families. She warmly and willingly offered advice and encouragement to me as I settled into my role as First Lady. I am proud of you. In her 25-minute speech, Obama did not mention black women or women of color but she didn’t have to. (Applause.). We have to give her another round of applause. And I’ve seen how these issues play out not just on a personal level, but on a national level in our laws and policies. Mrs. Reagan was a woman of incredible strength and grace, and she was a passionate advocate for so many important issues. You can study or volunteer abroad and be on the front lines educating girls. We have so, so much more to do. Drink. https://uproxx.com/viral/michelle-obama-international-women-day-2017 Dance. So I want to close by thanking all of you once again for everything you have done in this year, and everything we will continue to do together. We continue our work to promote entrepreneurship and workplace flexibility so that women can contribute as fully as possible to our economy. And today, it is so easy to take for granted all the progress we’ve made on these kinds of issues. And I am so grateful for her kindness and generosity to me and my family over the years, and I hope that our continued work to educate girls worldwide is a fitting tribute to her legacy. But 100 years ago, we would have never imagined that we’d be standing here in the East Room of the White House -- (laughter) -- celebrating this day with this administration. In 2008, Barack Obama's election to the White House as the first black president was not the only event that made history: Michelle Obama did so too when she became the first black first lady. (Applause.) And in the coming months, we’re going to be expanding our call to action to support these girls. (Applause.) Michelle Obama's 16 most powerful quotes about women - Women Michelle Obama's life lessons to live by. They each have the spark of something extraordinary inside of them just like our daughters –- and our sons -– and their fate is very much our responsibility. For me, it was the drumbeat of horrifying stories:  Malala Yousafzai shot in the head by terrorists just for speaking the simple truth that girls should to go school. And I’m passionate about this because I truly see myself in these girls -– in their hunger, in their burning determination to rise above their circumstances and reach for something more. US First Lady Michelle Obama poses with young female students in front of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2016 before an event to mark International Women’s Day, as part of the first lady’s Let Girls Learn initiative. You know that. And the more I traveled and met with girls and learned from experts about this issue, the more I realized that the barriers to girls’ education isn’t just resources. Give yourselves a round of applause. And then here I show up with a hoard of international reporters shoving microphones in their faces -- these girls don’t blink. After you graduate from college, you can even join the Peace Corps and run your own girls’ education project. We got to get paid more for it. And that’s not just true here in America. These issues aren’t settled. The interviews, done in conjunction with Refinery29 , were with four young women from Ghana, Guatemala, Chicago and Nepal. Transcript of first lady Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. Barack Obama's White House 2016 speech on modern feminism ... fact that many women can’t even get a paid day off to give birth. Obama … (Applause.). Turn that passion into something real. Below is the text of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech, delivered Monday, on the first day of the 2020 Democratic National Convention: Good evening, everyone. So I’m pleased that, on a bipartisan basis, the Senate has passed the most significant patent reform in over half a century. I see it in your eyes. Little girls being brutally assaulted on their way to school, being forced to marry and bear children when they’re barely even teenagers. So we have reason to celebrate. And you can start today by going to LetGirlsLearn.gov and find out how to get involved right now. Read the latest blog posts from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Check out the most popular infographics and videos, View the photo of the day and other galleries, Tune in to White House events and statements as they happen, See the lineup of artists and performers at the White House, Eisenhower Executive Office Building Tour. I am only standing on your shoulders. Mrs. Obama Shares a Message on International Women’s Day March 8, 2018 6:02 PM In honor of International Women’s Day, Mrs. Obama sent the … (Applause.) Volunteers are now running more than 100 girls’ education projects in 22 countries -– girls’ mentorship programs, girls’ leadership camps, and so much more. (Applause.) https://usareally.com/1354-new-shocking-facts-about-michelle-obama-s-gender Our young people! And make no mistake about it, education was central to every last one of those efforts. As part of their campaign, they created signs to raise awareness, and one of these signs said that “33 million fewer girls than boys are in primary school worldwide.”  They said, “We’re in this together. And that’s one of the reasons why we have to do this, because we need to remind ourselves and our country that we’re here because of us. And also Shannon for her inspiring way of being, and for introducing our choir and for her extraordinary achievements. We’re still under-represented. "Every day, you have the power to choose our better … We are leading businesses. We’ve come a long way, ladies! And that is why all of you keep on fighting. We see it in the story of a girl named Fiker from Ethiopia who, at the age of 13, found out that her parents were planning to marry her off to a man she’d never met. No, these rights were secured through long, hard battles waged by women and men who marched, and protested, and made their voices heard in courtrooms and boardrooms and voting booths and the halls of Congress. You do it because you know that your work could be the spark or that seed for the dreams and aspirations of girls like Aissatou and Shannon generations from now. We see the impact of our work in the story of a young woman named Nourhan in Egypt. Former first lady Michelle Obama interviewed them to find out. (Applause.) We do it for you. They are my daughters, and they are you. I later found out that the inspirational powerhouse of a woman who spoke was Michelle Obama. Turn that into action. So let’s give her a round of applause as well. And I know that each of us here today has a story like Samantha shared about how we first got engaged in this issue –- the moment our heart first broke or we felt that first flare of outrage when we realized that 62 million girls worldwide –- girls who are just as smart and hard-working as we are -– aren’t getting the opportunities that we sometimes take for granted. (Applause.). She is married to the 44th and current President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Our hashtag was the number-three hashtag globally, with girls around the world tweeting their support for Let Girls Learn. At an event aimed at highlighting the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote, President Donald Trump disparaged the country's most admired woman, Michelle Obama as … And today, just 12 months after we launched Let Girls Learn, we’re seeing the impact of these efforts all around the world. And trust me, girls around the world, they understand this. We have some members of Congress who are here -- I see some faces scattered around. I’ve seen it time and time again –- girls in Senegal studying at rickety desks in bare concrete classrooms raising their hands so hard they’re almost falling out of their chairs. We benefit as a nation. It is a pleasure to be here with all of you on this International Women’s Day as we mark the first anniversary of Let Girls Learn. This issue is truly resonating as folks in every sector are stepping up to take action on behalf of these girls around the world. In my lifetime, women were not legally allowed to make fundamental decisions about their bodies –- and practically speaking, many still can’t. And I hope you all are having just a lot of fun here this evening. All right, rest yourselves. Students at a middle school in California raised $1,500 for Let Girls Learn by selling popsicles and hot chocolate. On International Women’s Day, ... That 17-year old was me. So I want to close tonight by simply saying thank you. And when speaking about her plans for the future, she says, “I dream of being the youngest Nobel Prize winner for Nuclear Physics.”, And we’re seeing the impact of our efforts not just on girls worldwide, but on young people right here at home. We had a fabulous morning at the State Department. We do it for you. We are going to be engaging even more people -– moms and dads, faith and youth organizations, and young people like so many of you. Thank you all so much. They are us. END. Let Girls Learn also has a strong partner in the American Peace Corps. And I see so many activists and advocates, pioneers who have devoted their careers to improving the lives of women. We are just honored and delighted to have you here to celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month here at the White House.      MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, well. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. The following are remarks as delivered by first lady Michelle Obama on the first night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. These freedoms that we take for granted aren’t guaranteed in stone. They’re taking on female genital mutilation in Guinea, forced child marriage in Bangladesh. ... -State Department Women of Courage Awards 2009. Thank you so much. This long-overdue reform is vital to our ongoing efforts to modernize America’s patent laws and reduce the backlog of 700,000 patent applications – which won’t just increase transparency and certainty for inventors, entrepreneurs and businesses, but help grow our economy and create good jobs. (Laughter.) We have young women here like Shannon and Aissatou who are serving as peacemakers and ambassadors and community leaders here in America and around the world. We’ve got a lot to do. We make up nearly half of America’s workforce. It’s not just about access to scholarships or transportation or school bathrooms. (Laughter.) Folks of all ages and all walks of life are stepping up, as well. (Applause.) So it’s not surprising that over the past year since we launched Let Girls Learn, we have been overwhelmed by the response we’ve received. If we can make this kind of project -- progress in just a year -- in just a year -- if we keep putting in this effort and this investment that these girls deserve, we can get this done. That’s why all of you keep on leading and working toward a better day for all of us. They’re providing scholarships for girls in Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I see how that's what drives Barack Obama every single day. I don’t have to do anything else. MRS. OBAMA: Oh, my goodness. I love you all. (Applause.) Those girls will be so grateful, because they are all of us. I have to start by thanking Aissatou for that beautiful, beautiful introduction and for all her hard work. You can study this issue and organize your classmates to take action. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/politics/michelle-obama-speech-transcript Read the latest blog posts from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Check out the most popular infographics and videos, View the photo of the day and other galleries, Tune in to White House events and statements as they happen, See the lineup of artists and performers at the White House, Eisenhower Executive Office Building Tour. Or if you get out there and get a job, like your parents may want you to -- (laughter) -- you can get your company involved in Let Girls Learn. International Women’s Day quotes – inspirational words from J.K. Rowling, Michelle Obama and Beyoncé to mark the date Inspirational quotes from powerful women Annabel Murphy So please enjoy, and God bless. (Applause.) (Applause.) They’re donating hundreds of thousands of dollars. Michelle Obama didn't mince words about women's rights during an inspiring address to young African leaders yesterday. I know you feel that burning sensation, that sense of unfairness. Michelle Obama has made her feminist beliefs known, in no uncertain terms. We have more work to do. More than 1,600 people in nearly all 50 states have donated money to Let Girls Learn Peace Corps projects. First Lady Michelle Obama Gave an Empowering Speech for International Women’s Day By Olivia Bahou Updated Mar 08, 2016 @ 6:00 pm 5:32 P.M. EST They’re promoting Let Girls Learn in their advertisements, their in-flight magazines, their hotel room videos. And countries like Japan, the UK, South Korea have joined this effort as well, investing more than half a billion dollars in girls’ education.   I am so honored to have you here tonight. And I got to hear a little bit of that fabulous choir, the Washington Performing Arts Society. They’re doing leadership training for girls in Afghanistan. (Applause.) And at this year’s U.N. General Assembly, nearly 200 countries agreed to make adolescent girls’ education a top priority in the new Global Goals. “These issues aren’t settled,” she said. She has focused on childhood obesity and gender equality during her husband’s two terms as president, making an initiative to improve the quality of life for women and children in America. But she took the plunge, and today, she’s an avid coder. No contribution is too small, as you can see, because in the end, that’s how we’re going to solve this problem –- one girl, one school, one village at a time, with folks like all of you -- particularly our young people -- leading the way. But I’m thinking tonight of a quote from the author Alice Walker, who once wrote, “So our mothers and grandmothers have more often than not anonymously handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see.”   From day one, the U.S. government has been leading the way with State, USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, investing hundreds of millions of dollars. It is a pleasure to be here with all of you on this International Women’s Day as we mark the first anniversary of Let Girls Learn. I’m thankful to have them as partners in this effort. I’ve got my bracelets on. (Applause.) I love you all. This is a small -- very small way for me, for my husband, for this administration to let you know just how proud we are of all that you do for women and girls. Some of you have been with us since the day we launched Let Girls Learn, some of you have been working on girls’ education for decades, and some of you are students who will be leading the way on this issue in years to come. They’re creating new products –- backpacks and charm bracelets and T-Shirts -– to raise money and awareness. Girls in every corner of the globe facing grave danger simply because they were full and equal human beings -- that’s what they decided -- worthy of developing their boundless potential. So back to the business at hand. And finally, I want to recognize all of the extraordinary women who are gathered here tonight, because there are so many sprinkled about, including our wonderful Women of Courage Award recipients, all of whom I got to spend time with earlier today. I know we are. Thank you so much. Merci. Yes. AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you! And it’s not just corporations and organizations who are getting engaged on this issue. Bangladeshi immigrant girls in the United Kingdom who study for hours every night and proudly wear their head scarves everywhere they go, resolutely ignoring those who would demean their religion. I’m done. More than 200 Nigerian girls kidnapped from their school dormitory by a terrorist group determined to keep them from getting an education –- grown men trying to snuff out the aspirations of young girls. Our work is so far from done. Through the example she set, both during her time in the White House and beyond, Mrs. Reagan reminded us of the importance of women’s leadership at every level of our society. All right. Eat. You guys good? And they certainly didn’t just come down to us as a gift from the heavens. It is their only chance to shape their own fate rather than having the limits of their lives dictated to them by others. Thank you so much. We are just honored and delighted to have you here to celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month here at the White House. And I know that many of you do, too. Women are thriving in every sector of our society. You do it so that our daughters and granddaughters and, just as importantly, our sons and grandsons can have the opportunities that many of us only dreamed of. We had a fabulous morning at the State Department. You guys good? See, even young kids get it. (Applause.) In early October 2016, Michelle Obama gave a speech in… Keep studying your math. (Laughter.) But Fiker had learned about the dangers of early marriage from a USAID program she was involved in, so she refused to go through with the marriage.