The White House Blog: The First Lady

President Obama Hosts a Celebration of Women's History Month at the White House

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the Women’s History Month reception in the East Room of the White House, March 18, 2013. Standing at right are First Lady Michelle Obama and Amanda McMillan, who introduced the President. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama today welcomed a group of accomplished and inspiring women to a reception in the East Room of the White House. The group, which included leaders like A&E Networks CEO Abbe Raven, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Girl Scouts' CEO Anna Maria Chávez, astronaut Sunita Williams, activists Dolores Huerta and Lilly Ledbetter, and WNBA star (and 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist) Tamika Catchings, joined the President, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to celebrate the progress women make in this country each and every day. President Obama highlighted the changes we've seen in the past century:

When I look around this room, it is hard to believe that 100 years ago this month, thousands of women were marching right outside this house demanding one of our most fundamental right: the right to vote, to have a say in our democracy. And today, a century later, its rooms are full of accomplished women who have overcome discrimination, shattered glass ceilings, and become outstanding role models for all of our sons and daughters. And that means we've come a long way, and that’s thanks to the efforts of so many people like you.

Because of the hard work and exemplary leadership of the women in this room, military families have protected family and medical leave. Women have legal recourse to fight against pay discrimination... Women have the opportunity to serve on the front lines of our military conflicts, and that means that they're getting paid and promoted equally. Women have the opportunity to make their own choices about their health.

First Lady Michelle Obama Challenges America's CEOs To Be Bold in Finding Ways to Hire Veterans

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks on the Joining Forces Initiative to business leaders at the Business Roundtable Conference Center in Washington, D.C., March 13, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama today met with the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies which combined have nearly 16 million employees, and challenged these leaders to make bold commitments to hire our veterans and military spouses and help them reach their full potential within their companies.

Mrs. Obama highlighted the need for action, referring to the hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses currently looking for work, and pointing out that in the coming years, over one million more will be hanging up their uniforms and transitioning back to civilian life. "These men and women will be returning to their families, rejoining their communities, and figuring out what’s next in their lives," said the First Lady. "And as they do all of that, the one thing that they're going to be thinking about is a job."

#AskFLOTUS About Let's Move!

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the Let's Move! website. You can see that post here. Update: This live event has concluded. You can see the full Q&A here.

Tomorrow at 11:05ET, I'll answer some questions about @letsmove & how we can improve the health of our kids. Join with #AskFLOTUS ­mo

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 10, 2013

To celebrate the third anniversary of Let’s Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama traveled around the country to highlight healthy changes being made in schools, towns and businesses across America.

Tomorrow, we're continuing the celebration on Twitter to discuss the First Lady's initiative to ensure that all our children grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

Hanging Out with First Lady Michelle Obama

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the official Let's Move! website.

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in the “Let’s Move!” Google+ Hangout in the Blue Room of the White House. March 4, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Earlier today, First Lady Michelle Obama joined her first ever Google+ Hangout live from the Blue Room of the White House. Continuing our series of “Fireside Hangouts” on Google+, Mrs. Obama participated in a virtual conversation about Let’s Move!, her initiative to ensure our nation’s kids grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

During the Hangout, the First Lady discussed the new Let’s Move! Active Schools program designed to bring physical activity back to schools, the importance of family dinner, steps to get healthier lunches into schools – and favorite dance moves (of course, it’s the dougie. And yes, everyone in the hangout dougied together.)  Watch the full video: