Michelle Obama has spoken of facing harassment from men who would whistle at her as a young woman, during a speech in Argentina on Wednesday. The First Lady was addressing the 'Let Girls Learn' initiative, which promotes education and leadership for girls worldwide.
'As I got older, I found that men would whistle at me as I walked down the street, as if my body were their property, as if I were an object to be commented on instead of a full human being with thoughts and feelings of my own,' Obama said.
She also recalled noticing favouritism towards boys in her classes as a child, with teachers calling on boys more often despite girls having better grades. Teachers would ask her brother about his career ambitions while asking her what kind of man she wanted to marry.
Obama urged her audience, many of them young girls, to ignore those who doubt or dismiss them. 'I decided not to listen to the voices of those who doubted or dismissed me. Instead, I decided to listen to my own voice,' she said.
The 'Let Girls Learn' initiative was launched by Obama alongside Akie Abe, wife of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. The First Lady is in Argentina with her husband President Barack Obama and their two daughters, following a historic visit to Cuba.
