Mrs. Obama spoke directly about women’s issues on the African continent. She said Africa’s young people must make sure that the rights of women are equal to the rights of men. She also said all young people must work to end violence against women in any form and any place.

The first lady gave this message in a building famed for its part in the movement that ended apartheid -- South Africa’s policy of racial separation. Regina Mundi is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the country. Thirty-five years ago, anti-apartheid activists sought refuge in the church to escape violence by police. Crowds also gathered there because South African blacks were barred from attending political meetings in most public places.

Michelle Obama noted that history. She said the anti-apartheid struggle and America’s civil rights movement had inspired each other years ago. She said the same could be said on a personal level between herself and the young Africa women of today. She said Africa had a lot to offer the rest of the world because of the continent’s high growth rates and growing democracies.

The speech came on the first day of a workshop and conference for women across Africa. The State Department and other American government agencies organized the events. More than seventy young women from twenty-five countries took part. They explored the ideas of leadership and community service. The women were between the ages of sixteen and thirty. They represented the fields of education, health, civil society, business and the media.