Politics Michelle Obama Launches New 'Get Her There' Campaign with Amal Clooney, Melinda Gates On Tuesday, the three spoke passionately about the goal of the project, highlighting statistics that estimate some 12 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18 each year By Kyler Alvord Kyler Alvord Kyler Alvord is a news editor at PEOPLE, leading the brand's political coverage. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 25, 2022 04:55PM EDT From left: Amal Clooney, Michelle Obama, Melinda Gates. Photo: Getty (3) Former first lady Michelle Obama joined Melinda French Gates and Amal Clooney in New York City on Tuesday to launch the "Get Her There" campaign, a global initiative to educate and empower adolescent girls around the world so they can reach their full potential. The campaign is a collaboration of the organizations founded by the three women — the Obama Foundation's Girls Opportunity Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clooney Foundation for Justice — and will work to advance gender equality by, among other things, aiming to improve girls' access to education around the globe and end child marriage. "We created the Get Her There campaign to inspire everyone to get involved in our work — because we know that our entire world benefits when girls are educated and empowered," the former first lady said in a statement announcing the collaboration. "That's why I am so grateful that Melinda and Amal — two of the world's most compelling and influential leaders for gender equity — are teaming up with the Girls Opportunity Alliance to help remove the barriers that stand in the way of every girl getting the opportunities she deserves. The barriers these girls face are very real, but I couldn't be more hopeful about what's ahead in our work together to support them." The Obamas Recall Lessons in Love and Politics at Presidential Center Groundbreaking in Chicago On Tuesday, the three spoke passionately in a panel about the goal of the project, highlighting statistics that estimate some 12 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18 each year. What's more, the women noted, one in seven girls in developing nations are married under the age of 15 and, as a result, often forced to drop out of school. The "there" in Get Her There, Obama said, is simply "anywhere a girl can dream." "These girls are showing us where 'there' is," Obama explained, adding: "Education made the difference in my life. … It has given me the tools to envision where 'there' [is for me]." Speaking in the panel discussion, Clooney noted how the girls pushed into child marriage will never get to meet their full potential. "Who knows how many of the [girls pushed into child marriage] could've gone on to cure cancer or lead a country?" she asked. Amal Clooney Tells United Nations: 'Ukraine is a Slaughterhouse, Right in the Heart of Europe' The goal in partnering with Obama and Gates, Clooney added, was to create a network of organizations with the scale to actually solve issues. According to the release, the women will engage in joint advocacy to help meet their goals, and build on the existing work of their respective organizations, like the Clooney Foundation's work to host fellowships and challenge discriminatory laws through the courts. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. In addition to their panel, the women introduced the audience to girls from all over the world whose lives were changed by being offered the rare opportunity of an education. The girls talked about their stories and how the foundations that helped them are part of Obama's Girl Opportunity Alliance network. Singer Sara Bareilles was also on hand to serenade the crowd with her song "Brave," which she "dedicated to all the girls all over the world stepping into their power."