Michelle Obama’s Girls Opportunity Alliance is putting more than $1 million behind organizations helping girls around the world get an education, build confidence and create better futures. She announced the investment in honor of International Day of the Girl.
Girl Power
Girls Opportunity Alliance is a program of the Obama Foundation. On Oct. 11 Michelle Obama announced that the funding will support 25 organizations across 15 countries. The funding will help grassroots groups expand programs that provide girls with educational resources, mentorship, leadership development, and opportunities to build brighter futures.
“I’ve always believed that every girl holds a unique promise — a special way that she can change the lives of those around her, maybe even the world,” Obama said in a video announcing the initiative.
“And that’s why investing in girls isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s an investment in our shared future,” she added.
International Day of the Girl, observed annually on Oct. 11, highlights the challenges girls face worldwide and the importance of ensuring they have access to education, safety, and the resources needed to reach their full potential.
Obama said the Girls Opportunity Alliance has spent years supporting grassroots leaders and organizations working to ensure girls receive the education they deserve.
“That’s the work the Girls Opportunity Alliance has been committed to for years: lifting up the grassroots leaders and groups that are helping girls around the world get the education they deserve,” she said.
The latest commitment will help 25 organizations expand their work in communities across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, where girls can face barriers to education, economic opportunity, and leadership.
In Uganda, the Girl Power Foundation works with adolescent girls and young women through mentorship and educational support. India’s Milaan Foundation focuses on helping adolescent girls develop greater agency, access opportunities, and improve their overall well-being.
Girls First Initiative plans to establish leadership clubs in four schools in Tanzania. The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network will train community mentors and establish 10 spaces where girls can participate in weekly educational sessions.
Launched in 2018 under the Obama Foundation, the Girls Opportunity Alliance supports community-based organizations working to improve educational opportunities for adolescent girls around the world.
Since its launch, the initiative has supported more than 265 grassroots projects across 50 countries, reaching more than 190,000 girls, according to the Obama Foundation.
The program combines financial support with networking, mentorship, and other resources designed to help local organizations strengthen their impact.
The latest global commitment follows another major investment earlier this year, when the alliance provided $500,000 in funding and organizational support to 10 Chicago-based organizations serving girls.
The Chicago initiative brought additional attention to community organizations working to help girls develop leadership skills, access educational opportunities and navigate challenges that can affect their futures.
Obama has also supported girls’ education through proceeds from her bestselling memoir, “Becoming.” In 2019, she committed more than $500,000 from merchandise sales associated with the book to support girls’ education around the world.
Obama’s announcement comes amid continued public appearances in which she has discussed leadership, family, character, and the importance of encouraging young people to recognize their potential.
On Oct. 12, she spoke to a sold-out audience of approximately 8,000 people at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. The appearance was part of the Jefferson Educational Society’s Global Summit speaker series and was moderated by journalist Elaine Welteroth.
For Obama, the investment represents more than financial assistance. It is a commitment to helping girls gain access to education, develop their leadership abilities and build the foundation for a future in which they can contribute to their families, communities and the world.
