Let Girls Learn

Let Girls Learn
Name	Let Girls Learn
Formation	March 2015
Founders	Barack Obama, Michelle Obama
Dissolved	January 2017 (U.S. government initiative)
Focus	Adolescent girls' education
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Key people	Megan J. Smith, Susan Rice
Parent organization	United States Agency for International Development

Let Girls Learn. It was a United States government initiative launched during the Obama administration to address the barriers preventing adolescent girls globally from attaining a quality education. The program aimed to harness the resources of multiple federal agencies and foster international partnerships to support community-led solutions. It placed a particular emphasis on regions and countries where girls faced significant disadvantages in accessing schooling.

Background and launch

The initiative was formally announced in March 2015 by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during a ceremony at the White House. Its creation was influenced by data from organizations like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Bank, which highlighted a global crisis in girls' education. The launch coincided with the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, which produced the Beijing Declaration. Key figures in its development included National Security Advisor Susan Rice and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan J. Smith. The announcement was strategically aligned with broader international efforts, including the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Goals and objectives

The primary goal was to empower adolescent girls through education by tackling specific, localized obstacles. Objectives included increasing girls' enrollment and retention in secondary school, improving the quality and relevance of education, and changing community perceptions about the value of educating girls. It sought to address intersecting barriers such as child marriage, gender-based violence, poor school infrastructure, and a lack of female teachers. The initiative also aimed to leverage the expertise of agencies like the Peace Corps and the Millennium Challenge Corporation to create sustainable, culturally-attuned programs.

Implementation and partnerships

Implementation was spearheaded by the United States Agency for International Development in collaboration with the Department of State, the Department of Labor, and the Peace Corps. A major component was the Peace Corps "Let Girls Learn" fund, which supported volunteers working with communities in countries like Liberia, Morocco, and Cambodia. The initiative formed partnerships with non-governmental organizations including CARE, the Global Partnership for Education, and Girl Rising. It also collaborated with governments through mechanisms like the U.S.-Japan Council and engaged private sector partners. Programs often involved training local leaders and supporting mentorship efforts modeled on initiatives like MLK Day of Service.

Impact and reception

The initiative mobilized substantial resources, with the U.S. Congress appropriating significant funding through acts like the Fiscal Year 2016 Appropriations Act. It supported thousands of community projects, reaching hundreds of thousands of girls in over 50 countries. The program received widespread acclaim from figures like Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of UN Women and was praised at international forums such as the Global Education and Skills Forum. Michelle Obama's advocacy trips to countries including Qatar and Argentina brought high-profile attention to the issue. Its approach of supporting local solutions was often highlighted as a model in contrast to broader, less targeted aid programs.

Criticism and challenges

Critics, including some members of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, questioned the initiative's oversight and its duplication of existing efforts within USAID. The program faced inherent challenges in operating within complex socio-political environments, such as in regions affected by Boko Haram insurgency. Some development experts argued that its focus was too narrow, overlooking systemic issues in national education policies. The initiative's future became uncertain following the 2016 United States presidential election and the transition to the Trump administration, which expressed different priorities for foreign aid.

Legacy and successor initiatives

Although the U.S. government formally ended the initiative in January 2017, its framework influenced subsequent efforts. Michelle Obama continued the mission through the Obama Foundation and its program, the Girls Opportunity Alliance. Many of the community-based partnerships and training models developed under Let Girls Learn were integrated into ongoing USAID missions. The initiative's emphasis on adolescent girls' education remains a pillar of the work of organizations like the Malala Fund and continues to inform policy discussions at the World Economic Forum and within the European Union.

Category:Educational programs Category:Obama administration initiatives Category:Women's education