As of 2016, 62 million girls all over the globe aren't getting an education, which is a basic human right.
The right of girls to education has always been a cause close to U.S. first lady Michelle Obama's heart. Enlisting the help of Oscar nominated songwriter Diane Warren, they released a track called “This Is For My Girls” featuring Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monáe, Lea Michele, Kelly Rowland, Missy Elliott, Zendaya, Chloe x Halle, and Jadagrace. The track, produced with the help of AOL’s MAKERS, is available to purchase on iTunes.
All proceeds will benefit Let Girls Learn.
“Diane Warren and this collective of powerful, talented artists have truly taken action in support of Let Girls Learn,” said Michelle Obama in a press release. “I am thrilled that they’ve created this anthem for the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school, and that AOL’s MAKERS and iTunes joined them in their support.”
The first lady also penned a powerful essay which was featured on Lena Dunham's newsletter, Lenny Letter.
Michelle Obama revealed that she sees herself in the girls and in their “ambition and determination to rise above their circumstances”:
Imagine being a bright, curious young girl with all kinds of ideas about what you want to be when you grow up. And then one day, someone taps you on the shoulder and says, ‘Sorry, not you. You’re a girl. Your dreams stop here. You have to drop out of school, marry a man 20 years older than you whom you’ve never met, and start having babies of your own.
The First Lady called upon readers to visit the site 62 Million Girls, where they can pledge to support education for adolescent girls all around the world.
You don’t have to have a Grammy to make a difference here (I can’t even carry a tune). You can organize a fun run, a battle of the bands, a trivia contest, a cocktail party — anything you can dream up and execute is fair game (within limits, of course). You absolutely have the power to make a difference on this issue, and girls around the world are counting on you to step up and act. . . The least we can do is give them a chance to go to school, fulfill that hope, and become who and what they are meant to be.
You can purchase “This Is For My Girls” on iTunes. We're certain you'll be listening to it on repeat!
READ: Obama on his daughters’ body image: ‘It helps that Michelle has ‘curves’
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