US first lady meets Cambodian female students

US first lady Michelle Obama gestures as she speaks to students during a visit to promote girls' education at Hun Sen Prasaat Bankong high school on the outskirts of Siem Reap, Cambodia,March 21, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

SIEM REAP, Cambodia - US First lady Michelle Obama on Saturday met Cambodian female students to stress the importance of girls' education.

Michelle, along with Bun Rany, wife of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, visited female students at Hun Sen Prasat Bakong High School here.

"We met with a group of young girls. Most we talked with were teenagers. These girls were amazing, they have big huge dreams," she said at a "Let Girls Learn" event after a meeting with those female-students. "Their plans are to use their education to serve their community and to build their country."

The first lady, who is a Princeton graduate in sociology, encouraged girls to focus on schooling, saying that their success would not happen without education.

" 'Let Girls Learn 'is about giving girls like you here a voice in your community and in your country," said the first lady,who also holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School.

"When you have chance to fulfill your potential, there is no limit to what you can achieve, so I'm today to urge you to keep learning as much as you can."

According the UNESCO, literacy rate among females in Cambodia is much lower than males, only 70.9 percent of females are literate, compared with 85.1 percent of males.