Michelle, Maryam pledge to work towards promotion of education: First Lady announces $70 million to educate girls

The US First Lady Michelle Obama and Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday vowed to work for promotion of education in Pakistan that intend to benefit 200,000 young girls. Speaking at an event "Let Girls Learn" at the White House both sides committed to closely work together to expand opportunities for the education of young girls in Pakistan and women empowerment.
The US First Lady Michelle Obama announced the funding of $70 million to educate adolescent girls in Pakistan. The Prime Minister's wife, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz was also present at the event which was arranged to coincide with the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the White House to meet President Barack Obama.
Michelle Obama said that with this funding more than a dozen new schools will be built along with rehabilitation of hundreds of others. The funds will also be used to set up health screening for thousands of girls to ensure they are getting the needed medical care. "We will be funding skills-training programs and college scholarships for girls. And, taken together, these efforts will reach 200,000 girls in Pakistan," the US First Lady said among applause.
These 200,000 girls, who will have a chance to fulfil their promise - just like our daughters have that opportunity - and become the next generation of doctors and teachers and entrepreneurs. And that 200,000 girls who will one day raise healthier, more educated families of their own, she added. She said that this investment represents a major milestone for these girls and is part of the initiative called "Let Girls Learn," a US-government effort to help adolescent girls world-wide go to school and stay in school.
"And as part of this effort, we issued a call to countries across the globe to join us in investing or increasing their investment in girl's education," she said adding that when they did, those countries took that step, I promised that I would be the first person to stand with them and celebrate that commitment."
The First Lady said that many countries have pledged nearly $800 million in the past eight months for the initiative which, in addition to helping girls in Pakistan, will also help hundreds of thousands of girls world-wide. Maryam Nawaz while speaking on the occasion thanked Mrs Obama for her support to strengthen Pakistan's education sector and highlighted the policy priority being accorded to increasing female literacy in Pakistan. She emphasised the firm commitment of the Government to implement the policies of the Government as envisioned in the Vision 2025.
Lauding the role of the US First Lady for the cause of education in the world, Maryam Nawaz said, "you are not only a good mother but continued to inspire million of girls around the world." Maryam Nawaz said millions of young girls, women all over the world are facing problems but she believed in power resilience of women as they are fighting on multiple fronts, adding that they are fighting the mind set, traditional and social barriers which continue to stunt their professional growth.
On the occasion she also mentioned the great role of her mother Kulsoom Nawaz when a dictator toppled a democratic government and said that she not only cared of her father but fought for democracy. Highlighting the need of educational reforms in Pakistan, she said that the incumbent government attaches great importance to educational reforms. LGL Pakistan is part of the global LGL program, announced by President Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama to help create more education and growth opportunities for the underprivileged girls.