In 2015, former First Lady Michelle Obama started a program called “Let Girls Learn.”. As many know, adolescent females tend to receive minimum to below average education in developing countries. This program was meant to reach out to said girls and offer them the same educational opportunities as young males. Girls get taught how to read, write and get access to education materials such as books. Not only has “Let Girls Learn” helped young girls in learning, but it has also empowered and encouraged them to work towards their goals. It has brought access to an education that they would never have had without this program. Millions of dollars of support, as well as many willing volunteers, has turned “Let Girl Learn” it into one of Michelle’s biggest and most life-changing successes.
Unfortunately, a Trump memo has been released, reportedly outlining the end of “Let Girls Learn”. The email sent to Peace Corps employees stated: “Moving forward, we will not continue to use the ‘Let Girls Learn’ brand or maintain a stand-alone program,” The email goes on to mention the success of the program and praises the work of the volunteers who participated.
White House officials have denied an ending to this program and have stated that “there have been no changes to the program”. This still leaves the remaining question, will there be changes to the program. Questions such as this have been declined an answer, leaving many with their own assumptions.
Donald Trump has repeatedly targeted programs aiding in women’s health, for example, Planned Parenthood, therefore targeting women’s education would not be a surprising next move.
Trump’s popular phrase “America first” could also be included in his reasoning behind the cutting of ‘Let Girls Learn’ as it is solely focused on helping girls that live outside of the United States. This selfishness on the part of the president could result in many young girls losing their chance to an education that these girls could use to impact the world positively.
All in all, there has been no formal confirmation of whether or not this life-changing program will end, but the email and the White House’s unclear statements are causes for concern. It is important to continue to check if anything involving the cutting of this program is mentioned, as many cases like this have flown under the radar. “Let Girls Learn” has brought thousands of young, hardworking females together and given them the empowerment and knowledge they deserve. “Let Girls Learn” makes the world a little bit better every day. Hopefully, it will be able to continue creating positive change for many years to come.
