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Lauren Yang

Ms. Jorgensen

English 10 H P1

21 February 2019

The Fight to Educate Girls

In the article “Let Girls Learn,” Michelle Obama, former First Lady, claims that to fully

address the global crisis of girls’ education, it is critical to not only make significant investments,

but to more importantly, challenge cultural beliefs and practices. Moreover, she attests to the

fact that allowing girls a full education can spur the development of the country as a whole.

The primary claim is advanced through Obama’s outline of the initiatives taken to open

new opportunities for young girls and suppress the issues that prevent them from staying in

school. She addresses a common claim that, “We can solve this problem, the argument goes, if

we provide more scholarships for girls...uniforms, and supplies” (Obama 1). She then comments

that these advancements are, in effect, surface-level, and are not sufficient to solve the problem,

making the assertion that these shifts are not effective until society is restructured to empower

and accept girls rather than disgrace and oppress them. The shame surrounding menstruation and

survivors of sexual assault, along with disapproval of women in the workforce, are a number of

stigmas to be lifted. Following this claim is the inclusion of historical acts of women's rights

activism in the United States, to present the plausibility of such a change. Obama is able to

assert her authority on the subject by referencing her own efforts in solving the issue, including

that, “...I’ll also be speaking at a global education conference in Qatar where I’ll be urging

countries around the world to make new investments in girls’ education and challenge laws and

practices…” (Obama 1), in addition to her involvement in the launch of the initiative Let Girls
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Learn. She also uses logic to explain the strides towards development that can result from

educating girls. By including statistics that show a decrease in infant and maternal mortality rate,

as well as increase in salary Obama indicates that resolving this issue can positively affect the

country as a whole. Obama’s use of emotional appeals is apparent in her description of the

underprivileged girls she has encountered, and what potential may be lost through lack of

opportunity. She also evokes empathy by asking, “None of us here in the U.S. would accept this

for our own daughters and granddaughters, so why would we accept it for any girl on our

planet?” (Obama 2), which puts into perspective the depth of the issue. This argument is

credible because it uses references of relevant information to logically support the claims, and it

is evident that Obama had a purpose to bring attention to a continuously under addressed

worldwide crisis. Although the central claim is not reinforced throughout the writing, it is

developed and elaborated upon to add depth to the argument. Obama’s writing clearly conveys

the importance of educating girls worldwide.

Michelle Obama articulates an effective argument by synthesizing strong factual and

anecdotal evidence with emotional appeals. Lastly, she lends to her credibility with explanation

of her personal experience with underprivileged girls and what she had done, and will continue

to do, to fight for their rights.

Works Cited

Obama, Michelle. “Let Girls Learn.” The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2015.

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