USAID U.S.-Japan Efforts in Girls Education Can Serve as Basis for Cross-Sector Collaboration by cogitASIA Staff ??? April 2, 2015 ??? 1 Comment By Akiko Imai On March 19, 2015, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her Japanese counterpart Akie Abe announced a pledge ???to strengthen bilateral cooperation in helping girls around the world receive an education, especially in developing countries.???