Good morning!

Well, I royally messed up. Yesterday was International Day Of The Girl. I had this write in my drafts and meant to post this about our beloved FLOTUS yesterday but somehow POTUS snuck in there. :P Oh…what can I say, they are both so worthy of blog time. So here’s the write from CNN Pressroom:

CNN Films is producing a new film about girls overcoming incredible challenges to achieve their educations and change their own lives, with contributions from First Lady Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, Freida Pinto, and CNN journalist Isha Sesay. Singer Andra Day’s motivational anthem, ‘Rise Up’ will serve as the theme for the film. The Documentary Group, which produced CNN Films’ first co-production, ‘Girl Rising,’ also produced this special one-hour film.

We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World featuring Meryl Streep, Freida Pinto, and Isha Sesay will premiere on CNN International on the International Day of the Girl during primetime in Asia, Europe, and Africa on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 6:00am, 12:00pm, and 3:00pm. All times Eastern.

The CNN/U.S. premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 9:00pm will simulcast on CNN International; We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World will encore Thursday, Oct. 13 at 12:00am. The film will premiere on HLN on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 12:00pm. All times Eastern. The film will premiere on CNN en Español on Saturday, Nov. 5, viewers are asked to check local listings for exact airtimes.

Around the world, more than 62 million girls are not in school, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). As girls grow into adolescence, cultural and familial pressures often make it harder for them to stay in school, though educating women correlates to lower rates of infant mortality, increased GDP, and greater economic security for families.

“We are honored to have the contributions of the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, Freida Pinto, Andra Day, and our own Isha Sesay, for this inspirational film,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development for CNN Worldwide. “These dynamic and accomplished women, each long-committed to the transformative nature of girls’ empowerment, amplify incredible stories of success despite challenges. We are delighted to share this hopeful film with our global audience.”

Sesay, a native of Sierra Leone, who has passionately covered Africa and issues related to women and girls on the continent throughout her career, guides viewers of this poignant film through a moving and motivational journey. In Marrakech, Sesay, the First Lady, Meryl Streep, and Freida Pinto met with dozens of adolescent Moroccan girls who shared their stories and their dreams. In Liberia, Sesay, Pinto, and Mrs. Obama met with several girls who told their extraordinary stories, and later, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf surprised a group of impressive young women who are motivating each other to stay in school.

A dynamic interactive section with additional resources about the topics explored in the film, including content about girls’ education around the world written by First Lady Michelle Obama, Freida Pinto, and Isha Sesay will be linked to www.CNN.com/Impact and www.CNN.com/CNNFilms.

In 2013, ‘Girl Rising’ explored girls’ experiences in nine countries. For that film, Meryl Streep and Freida Pinto, among others, voiced the stories of girls pushing themselves past limits to achieve their educations.

In addition to the global broadcasts, We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World featuring Meryl Streep, Freida Pinto, and Isha Sesay will also stream via CNNgo via desktop (www.CNN.com/go), iPad, AppleTV, Amazon Fire, and across CNN’s mobile platforms. The film will be available on demand beginning Thursday, Oct. 13, via cable and satellite systems and CNNgo for subscribers.

We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World featuring Meryl Streep, Freida Pinto, and Isha Sesay is directed by Tony Gerber. The film is produced by Martha Adams, Beth Osisek, and Gerber of The Documentary Group. Courtney Sexton, vice president of content development for CNN Films, is supervising producer. The executive producers for this film are Amy Entelis of CNN Worldwide and Tom Yellin of The Documentary Group and Girl Rising.

What better way to mend my mess up is to post this honoring both our FLOTUS & POTUS – THE Power Couple!

#DadsAndDaughters: Celebrating International Day of the Girl

President Barack Obama views science exhibits during the 2015 White House Science Fair celebrating student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions, in the Red Room, March 23, 2015. The President talks with Emily Bergenroth, Alicia Cutter, Karissa Cheng, Addy O’Neal, and Emery Dodson, all six-year-old Girl Scouts, from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They used Lego pieces and designed a battery-powered page turner to help people who are paralyzed or have arthritis. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

“I didn’t run for President so that the dreams of our daughters could be deferred or denied. I didn’t run for President to see inequality and injustice persist in our time. I ran for President to put the same rights, the same opportunities, and the same dreams within the reach for our daughters and our sons alike. I ran for President to put the American Dream within the reach of all of our people, no matter what their gender, or race, or faith, or station.”

President Obama

Today is International Day of the Girl. That means countries around the world are honoring the importance of empowering girls so they can reach their full potential.

As the father of two young women, President Obama shared his reflections on the progress we’ve made on behalf of girls around the world:

“The progress we’ve made in the past 100 years, 50 years, and, yes, even the past eight years has made life significantly better for my daughters than it was for my grandmothers. And I say that not just as President but also as a feminist.”

Today, we’re joining the global community in celebrating International Day of the Girl. Since the ratification of the 19th amendment 96 years ago, we have made tremendous progress. However, as we reflect upon the strides we have made, we are reminded that the advances we need to make – in promoting gender equality, in opening up educational opportunities, in preventing sexual assault and domestic violence — is not something girls can do alone. It takes all of us, moms and dads, leaders and everyday citizens, to create the change we want to see.

That’s what #DadsAndDaughters is all about — a global conversation about dads, daughters, and their role in supporting and advocating for progress on behalf of girls around the world. Take a look at how the President has worked to improve the lives of women and girls:

Read reflections from dads and daughters about promoting gender equality around the world.

#DADSANDDAUGHTERS

Expanding Educational Opportunities for Girls Around the World

First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady Bun Rany of Cambodia greet students during a Room to Read event in support of the Let Girls Learn initiative, at Hun Sen Prasat Bakong High School in Siem Reap, Cambodia, March 21, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Since taking office, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have been committed to improving education for girls everywhere. That’s why they launched the Let Girls Learn initiative last year — a global effort to give millions of girls across the globae an opportunity to get the education they need to fulfill their potential and lift up their families, communities, and countries. Today, the First Lady recounted the progress we’ve made since launching Let Girls Learn:

Now, as First Lady, I have no budget of my own for programs, and I have no authority to make or pass laws. That’s why, when we first launched Let Girls Learn, many folks doubted that we could make a real impact on this global issue.

But over the past year and a half, we’ve established partnerships with some of the world’s largest companies and organizations that are committing money, resources and expertise. We’re collaborating with countries like Canada, Mexico and the Nordic countries on girls’ education efforts. Countries like Japan, South Korea, and the UK have collectively pledged nearly $600 million. The United States is investing over a billion dollars through new and ongoing efforts and running Let Girls Learn programs in more than 50 countries. The World Bank Group will be investing $2.5 billion over the next five years. And through social media campaigns, Let Girls Learn has rallied people across America and across the globe to step up and be champions for girls worldwide.

On the homefront, from expanding access to quality early childhood education, fostering school success, supporting girls who want to enter STEM fields, and expanding secondary and higher education opportunities, the President has worked to ensure all girls have a fair shot at an education.

READ THE FIRST LADY ON LET GIRLS LEARN

Fighting for Equal Pay and Working Families

First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady Bun Rany of Cambodia greet students during a Room to Read event in support of the Let Girls Learn initiative, at Hun Sen Prasat Bakong High School in Siem Reap, Cambodia, March 21, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The first bill President Obama ever signed into law was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, strengthening a woman’s right to equal pay. Since then, the President has lead the way on paid sick and family leave, called on Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, expanded overtime protections, and worked to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Increasing Access to Affordable Health Care

President Barack Obama greets Linda and Russ Dickson, a Texas couple who wrote a letter to the President about the Affordable Care Act, at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, April 10, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President has taken important steps to advance women’s health and make sure women can access health coverage. Through signing the Affordable Care Act, the President has expanded access to quality affordable care for all Americans, including providing necessary care and services for women and girls.

Working to End Violence Against Women and Girls

Vice President Joe Biden, with Michael Schrum and Greg Schultz playing USSS agents, tapes a segment for “Funny or Die” at the Josephine Butler Parks Center in Washington, D.C., May 17, 2016. In attendance are Adam Devine, Actor; Michael Burke, Supervising Producer, Funny or Die; Charles Ingram, Writer & Director, Funny or Die. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Alongside Vice President Biden, the President has worked to end violence against women in the United States and abroad. They have actively worked to combat sexual assault on college campuses, establishing the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault and helped launch the It’s On Us pledge. The administration has also worked to address sexual assault in the military and improve the criminal justice system to better respond to domestic and sexual violence.

Working to advance equal rights and equal opportunity affects us all. This International Day of The Girl, read more about the President’s Record on Women and Girls and join the conversation by using #DadsAndDaughter to share your stories about how the dads and daughters in your life have helped to de-bunk stereotypes, change cultural attitudes, and support each other in advancing gender equality.

THE VICE PRESIDENT ON THE IT’S ON US PLEDGE

❤️❤️❤️

Readers: Has any president and our first lady ever done as much for the women and young girls in our lives as our current? I may be wrong but I don’t think so. Love this couple.

Blog me. 

Alycedale, Evie: Yes and yes. You both have been more insightful than I. Kudos to you both.

Zen Lill: That was very funny. I wanted more.

Trevor: Sadly, I feel the same way. What’s your favorite outdoor thing? Do your friends feel the same way? I feel we all must get involved in something that moves us…for the planet…for girls…for what ever inspires us. Yet, it’s not enough to be inspired. We must all do something. Love to hear what you’re doing. I’m sure it is worthy of a tell.

Leroy: Thanks for your comment and the kind kudos. Yes, you did raise smart girls if they led you here. :) Delighted to hear even your “somewhat smart-alecky boys”  are reading. I HOPE they have a change of heart about my blog and realize that I’m just a girl illuminating what is out there, in support of my sisters around the world. I’m happy to hear that you are “enlightened.” This blog has a way of doing that, “Leroy.” :)

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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