Fatima Ezzahra Outznit (YES 2011-2012, Morocco, hosted by AFS in Chesterland, OH) and her father were recently highlighted in a new U.S. State Department campaign, #DadsAndDaughters. According to the State Department's website, the campaign is meant to "start a global conversation about dads, daughters, and gender equality."

The article goes on to talk about several young women and their fathers, including Fatima Ezzahra:

"Housewife or student: these are two divergent paths for many girls around the world. For Fatima, a young woman living in Morocco, it was not impossible for her to become a housewife, given her cultural background. But with the support of her father Mohamed, she not only stayed in school, but excelled in it.

'He always took me to school,' Fatima said about her father. 'He was always there. He came to my awards ceremonies. That is just his mentali."

Fatima Ezzahra goes on to speak about how her father supported her to join the YES program, and her father says he trusted her despite family pressure not to allow her to go. He reported that Fatima Ezzahra was 'worth the investment.'

The #DadsAndDaughters campaign is just getting started, and we have no doubt there are dozens of other stories like these from YES students around the world!