Hello everyone, I'm Michelle Obama, and on
this Mother's Day weekend, I want to take
a moment to honor all the mothers out there
and wish you a Happy Mother's Day.
I also want to speak to you about an issue
of great significance to me as a First Lady,
and more importantly, as the mother of two
young daughters.
Like millions of people across the globe,
my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken
over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian
girls from their school dormitory in the middle
of the night.
This unconscionable act was committed by a
terrorist group determined to keep these girls
from getting an education -- grown men attempting
to snuff out the aspirations of young girls.
And I want you to know that Barack has directed
our government to do everything possible to
support the Nigerian government's efforts
to find these girls and bring them home.
In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters.
We see their hopes, their dreams -- and we
can only imagine the anguish their parents
are feeling right now.
Many of them may have been hesitant to send
their daughters off to school, fearing that
harm might come their way.
But they took that risk because they believed
in their daughters' promise and wanted to
give them every opportunity to succeed.
The girls themselves also knew full well the
dangers they might encounter.
Their school had recently been closed due
to terrorist threats...but these girls still
insisted on returning to take their exams.
They were so determined to move to the next
level of their education...so determined to
one day build careers of their own and make
their families and communities proud.
And what happened in Nigeria was not an isolated
incident...it's a story we see every day as
girls around the world risk their lives to
pursue their ambitions.
It's the story of girls like Malala Yousafzai
from Pakistan.
Malala spoke out for girls' education in her
community...and as a result, she was shot
in the head by a Taliban gunman while on a
school bus with her classmates.
But fortunately Malala survived...and when
I met her last year, I could feel her passion
and determination as she told me that girls'
education is still her life's mission.
As Malala said in her address to the United
Nations, she said "The terrorists thought
that they would change our aims and stop our
ambitions but nothing changed in my life except
this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died.
Strength, power and courage was born."
The courage and hope embodied by Malala and
girls like her around the world should serve
as a call to action.
Because right now, more than 65 million girls
worldwide are not in school.
Yet, we know that girls who are educated make
higher wages, lead healthier lives, and have
healthier families.
And when more girls attend secondary school,
that boosts their country's entire economy.
So education is truly a girl's best chance
for a bright future, not just for herself,
but for her family and her nation.
And that's true right here in the U.S. as
well...so I hope the story of these Nigerian
girls will serve as an inspiration for every
girl -- and boy -- in this country.
I hope that any young people in America who
take school for granted -- any young people
who are slacking off or thinking of dropping
out -- I hope they will learn the story of
these girls and recommit themselves to their
education.
These girls embody the best hope for the future
of our world...and we are committed to standing
up for them not just in times of tragedy or
crisis, but for the long haul.
We are committed to giving them the opportunities
they deserve to fulfill every last bit of
their God-given potential.
So today, let us all pray for their safe return...
let us hold their families in our hearts during
this very difficult time...and let us show
just a fraction of their courage in fighting
to give every girl on this planet the education
that is her birthright.
Thank you.
