First Lady Michelle Obama on Tostan

“Tostan brings together communities in Africa to assess barriers to girls’ education and other issues. The communities work to develop their own plan of action: a plan that meets their needs and is in accordance with their values. As a result of this program, 7000 communities have publicly announced that they are abandoning child/forced marriage and female genital cutting.”

The speech was given at the Brookings Institution event “Mobilizing for Children’s Rights, Supporting Local Leaders and Improving Girls’ Education, ”December 12, 2014.