Press Release - Dr. Jill Biden Travels to San Jose, Costa Rica to Highlight Girls' Education and Women's Empowerment

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Today, Dr. Jill Biden is traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica as part of her four-country visit to Central and South America to engage government and civil society partners on issues related to economic empowerment and educational opportunities for women and girls. Dr. Biden will make stops in San Jose, Costa Rica; Lima, Peru; Cusco, Peru; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Tucuman, Argentina; and Panama City, Panama from June 19 – June 26, 2016. Dr. Biden will return to Washington, D.C. on June 26.

To raise awareness for the importance of girls' education and women's empowerment around the world, Dr. Biden launched her official Medium account in English and Spanish to share firsthand accounts and behind-the-scenes photos of her activities during her visit to Central and South America. You can follow her at @DrBiden.

Upon arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica on Sunday, Dr. Biden will be joined by the President of Costa Luis Guillermo Solís and First Lady Mercedes Peñas Domingo as she visits Universidad Tecnica Nacional and delivers remarks on the shared commitment of the United States, Costa Rica and countries throughout the Western Hemisphere to advance gender equality in education and cultivate the next generation of women leaders and business owners through equal access to economic opportunities. This event is open press.

Following her remarks, Dr. Biden and First Lady Mercedes Peñas Domingo will visit Hogar Siembra, a safe house that provides shelter for young women and empowers them with sufficient tools, skills and education for when they have to enter the workforce. While there, she will take a tour of the facility and have the opportunity to meet the girls who have benefited from the programs provided such as the multi-faceted English training, entrepreneurship training, and computer literacy training. This event is pooled press.

Afterwards, Dr. Biden will depart San Jose, Costa Rica en route Lima, Peru.