First lady Melania Trump, in a rare public speech, spoke out Wednesday against violence toward women and children.
Her words came during an address at the State Department's International Women of Courage Awards in Washington. The awards honor women who have overcome injustices and gone on to transform their societies even under the threat of personal danger, CNN reported. She urged all those listening to her speech to use the women's stories for personal inspiration.
"Together, we must declare that the era of allowing the brutality against women and children is over while affirming that the time for empowering women around the world is now," she said.
"Wherever women are diminished, the entire world is diminished with them. However, wherever women are empowered, towns and villages, schools and economies, are empowered and together, we are all made stronger with them.
"We must continue to work towards gender empowerment and respect for people from all backgrounds and ethnicities, remembering that we are all members of one race — the human race."
And The Hill noted that the speech marked one of the few public addresses by the president's wife, who has chosen to remain out of the spotlight.
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