This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Search form

Weekly Address: Let Girls Learn

Summary: 
In this week’s address, the President discussed an issue close to his heart: education for adolescent girls around the world.
President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Library of the White House, Feb. 27, 2015

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Library of the White House, Feb. 27, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

In this week’s address, the President discussed an issue close to his heart: education for adolescent girls around the world. Earlier this week, he and the First Lady announced “Let Girls Learn,” a whole of government initiative that will build on investments we have made and successes we have achieved in global primary school education, and expand them to help adolescent girls complete their education and pursue their broader aspirations.

62 million girls around the world -- half of whom are adolescent -- are not in school and therefore have diminished economic opportunities. Yet when a girl receives a quality education, she is more likely to earn a decent living, raise a healthy, educated family, and improve the quality of life for herself, her family, and her community. That’s why the President and First Lady have made addressing this problem a priority because every girl has so much to offer to the world, and no girl should be denied her chance to learn.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3