Dr. Jill Biden wife of the vice President of USA Vice President Joe Biden is visiting Malawi currently after Ethiopia’s visit and will head to Niger next in a trip that has her focusing on women’s rights, immigration and education.
Dr. Jill is touring the three African countries to promote girls’ education and women’s empowerment.
Dr. Biden started off her three-country visit to Africa in Ethiopia this past weekend for the first time, she talked in Addis Ababa during a graduation of the Girls can code program which teaches high school girls the essential computer technology and IT skills to aid them in attaining higher education. According to the second lady fewer than 20 percent of university STEM graduates in Ethiopia are female.
“You’re women of action. There’s nothing you cannot do if you have confidence in yourself.” said Dr. Biden
Dr. Biden visited the International Organization for Migration Transit Center. Ethiopia is home to roughly 730,000 refugees. Over the last 10 years, the U.S. has resettled 30,000 refugees from Ethiopia, according to Lori Seymour, IOM’s head of operations in Africa and the U.S. will accept 85,000 refugees from all over the world with about 30 percent coming from Africa this year, reports VOA.
Dr. Jill arrived in Malawi on Monday and engaged government and civil society on issues related to economic empowerment and educational opportunities for women and girls, and food security according to a Whitehouse statement.
Biden said Malawi needs an assistance to avert the starvation of 8.5 million people who face acute food shortages due to El Nino weather phenomenon according to a report.
According to reports by the Nation in Malawi, Dr, Jill’s visit to Machinga today could not happen because of students protesting in a university , where they had blocked the road.
UPDATE: US 2nd lady Jill Biden returning to Blantyre. Could not proceed to Machinga after Chanco students blocked the road in Zomba
— NationOnline (@NationOnlineMw) July 19, 2016
