US first lady, daughters, promote girls' learning in Morocco

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) - U.S. first lady Michelle Obama was visiting Morocco to promote education for girls in the North African kingdom, where only 36 percent of girls continue school beyond the primary level.

Obama was accompanied by the presidential couple's two daughters, Sasha and Malia, for the "Let Girls Learn" event on Tuesday, as well as by actresses Meryl Streep and Freida Pinto, both advocates for girls' education.

They will hold a conversation with adolescent girls to review obstacles to girls' access to full education in the region, according to the U.S. Embassy in Rabat.

Morocco ranks poorly in the region in reading, with a 67 percent literacy rate, according to UNICEF's latest figures. The literacy rate among young Moroccan women is 74 percent, compared to 88.8 percent for young men.