Video: Queen urges US girls to help make the ‘biggest changes’

Queen Rania speaks on MSNBC’s Today programme about a new UN programme, GirlUp and about the spread of anti-Muslim sentiments across the West.

“It’s really a campaign by girls for girls,” said Queen Rania, “So a girl could help a girl in Botswana to get school supplies.”

When questioned about why the campaign focuses on girls, Queen Rania said she found the case for girls’ education ‘compelling’.

“There are 35 million girls who don’t go to school…because of prejudice, place of birth or poverty. When a girl is educated…maternal mortality goes down. A baby born to an educated mother is 50% more likely to make it to his fifth birthday.”

The campaign aims to raise money and to increase awareness amongst American girls of the plight of girls across the world who do not have access to education.

It’s a shame that MSNBC didn’t see fit to devote more time to the issue of girl’s education, but then again, the amount of followers Her Majesty has on Twitter is of great social and political import….