Q Life Magazine Q Magazine (US) December 2015 | Page 24
| Issue 1
| First Lady Michelle Obama speaking at WISE
former Qatari First Lady, “for her outstanding work on
behalf of women and children here in Qatar and around
the world.” She noted that “the fact that two-thirds
of university students in Qatar and nearly 40 percent
of the Qatari workforce are women is no accident – it is
due in large part to her leadership.”
HH Sheikha Moza is the founder of a number of
national and international education initiatives, including
Educate a Child, which aims to significantly reduce the
number of children worldwide who are missing out on
their right to an education.
Educated Women, Stronger Nations
Mrs. Obama argues that educating women is paramount
because of the ripple effects it has on society. “Girls
who are educated marry later, have lower rates of infant
mortality,” she says. “They’re more likely to immunize
their children; less likely to contract malaria and HIV.
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Girls who are educated also earn higher salaries –
15 to 25 percent for each additional year of secondary
school. And studies have shown that sending more girls
to school and into the workforce can boost an entire
country’s GDP.”
Given Mrs. Obama’s focus on sustainable solutions
to the cultural and economic factors that keep women
out of schools, she was an obvious choice to make
a keynote address at WISE. “Your governments and
organizations are improving education for millions
of children,” she told the summit participants.
“Your research and advocacy are transforming how
we educate our next generation. And while you come
to the issue of education from so many different
perspectives, you’re all doing this work for one simple
reason: because, like me, you believe that every child
on this planet deserves the chance to fulfill their
boundless potential.”