In the fight for millions of young girls around the world facing a future without education, particular tactics are needed in order to combat the deep-seated cultural obstacles that often drives the oppression. And Michelle Obama has chosen the most effective weapon among them -- the selfie.
Yes, the selfie; the go-to item in the first lady's tool bag in fighting for various causes, second only to the hashtag.
In this cause, #62MillionGirls, highlights the over 62 million girls who are out of school worldwide. In a White House release, Mrs. Obama explains:
Many of them simply can't afford the school fees, or the nearest school is miles away and they don’t have safe transportation to get there -- or maybe there's a school nearby, but it doesn't have adequate bathroom facilities for girls. And for many girls, the obstacles they face aren't just about resources, but about cultural norms and traditions that deem girls unworthy of an education.
And so, the latest in hashtag-activism was birthed. Mrs. Obama asked for selfies, like her own, in order to "raise awareness" about these girls and show them how education has impacted the more privileged of the rest of the world -- those who have had little choice other than going to school.
"This is a serious moral crisis," she said, "and it's also an urgent economic issue: Girls who go to school earn higher salaries, and sending more girls to school can even help boost a country's entire economy. Girls' education is a health issue as well, because studies show that educated girls raise healthier families and have lower rates of HIV and maternal mortality."
And with this selfie, Mrs. Obama sends a personal message: "I see myself in these girls. I see my daughters in these girls. These girls are our girls, and I simply cannot walk away from them."
So while Obama's daughters were away at their elite $30,000-per-year-per-student private school, Mrs. Obama had a chance to take her photograph and send it out with a call for others to do the same. As would be expected, celebrities quickly responded, along with others who, perhaps should have paid a little more attention while they were in school:
