President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama today welcomed Malala Yousafzai to the Oval Office to thank her for her inspiring and passionate work on behalf of girls education in Pakistan.  The United States joins with the Pakistani people and so many around the world to celebrate Malala’s courage and her determination to promote the right of all girls to attend school and realize their dreams.  As the First Lady has said, “Investing in girls’ education is the very best thing we can do, not just for our daughters and granddaughters, but for their families, their communities, and their countries.”

As the President said in his proclamation to mark today as the International Day of the Girl, “Across the globe there are girls who will one day lead nations, if only we afford them the chance to choose their own destinies.  And on every continent, there are girls who will go on to change the world in ways we can only imagine, if only we allow them the freedom to dream.”  We salute Malala’s efforts to help make these dreams come true.