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