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Want to See the Power of Educating Girls? Her Name is Sohka.

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So, how many of you have had a sitting U.S. Secretary of State ask for your business card? It was THAT kind of weekend. And, that wasn't even the highlight. For the 2nd year, Tina Brown has brought together major women's advocates in an event called the "Women in the World Summit" to bring further awareness to the issues facing girls and women around the world and shine a light on the people who have been making a difference. My emotions ran all over the board ... awed by the courage of women like Lydia Cacho (writer who exposed an exploitation ring in Cancun) and Rebecca Lolosoli (who created a safe haven for women in Kenya) ... proud to see Secretary Clinton take such a strong stand ... horrified to hear about the child sex trafficking in the US ... encouraged by the words of Michelle Bachelet and the establishment of UN Women ... incredibly inspired by Sohka Chen, the 16 girl from Cambodia who was rescued from the garbage dumps to live at A New Day Cambodia and became a star student.

Sohka 2.jpgWhich brings me to the highlight of the weekend--Sohka. She is the first girl whose story will be told in the film 10x10 Educate Girls. Change the World. Intel is a major sponsor of 10x10 and we helped bring Sohka's story to life at the Summit where the film makers staged a live performance using film/photos/words to illustrate the power of education to transform a life ... and a community. It was my honor to talk to Sohka about her new life and what she plans to do with her education (teach others, start her own orphanage). She is articulate, strong, a little silly ... and very grateful. But, the gratitude is all mine ... that I can play a role in focusing attention on the plight of girls and their potential if given access to education through the stories of 10 girls ... and through a series of actions people can take to help. The highlight of the weekend was seeing our vision for 10x10 start to become a reality. Oh, and about that business card. I had a chance to tell Sec. Clinton about Intel's programs for women and ask about her specific plans ... she wanted her office to follow-up.

Read more about Intel's efforts to educate and empower girls and women, our support of 10x10, and about Women in the World. Also check our our previous blog post on our commitment to women and girls education, from the Clinton Global Initiative.