First Lady Michelle Obama and former first lady, and current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton showed the strength of political sisterhood at the afternoon talk.
Mrs Obama spoke about the plight and progress of American women at an emotional ceremony honoring international women of courage.
Friendly duo: First Lady Michelle Obama and former first lady, and current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton hosted an event honoring International Women's Day in the White House on Thursday
Speaking her mind: Mrs Obama presented 10 women with the State Department's 2012 International Women of Courage Awards
After being introduced by Mrs Clinton, Mrs Obama was generous with her compliments of her predecessor.
‘She has been an inspiration to women and girls around the world,’ Mrs Obama said of Mrs Clinton.
‘She is a role model for me in so many ways. I don't think she realizes how what she has done has made what I am doing partially possible.’
The friendly pair were joined by another first lady- Ernestina Naadu Mills- of Ghana as she was in Washington for the ongoing state visit.
Mrs Obama said that while women are breaking barriers and excelling in careers that their mothers and grandmothers believed were off-limits, more progress is needed to achieve true equality.
American women still earn less than men and lag in math and science fields, she said Tuesday, while many foreign countries exclude female voices from government decision-making.
Getting fired up: Mrs Obama looks enthused while Mrs Clinton laughs during the Thursday morning ceremony
Showing some bling: Though her informal black pantsuit was a bit bland, Mrs Clinton used silver jewellery to liven up the outfit, with multiple bracelets on her left hand and none on her right
Honoring women: The first ladies are seen here with four of the ten recipients. From left, Maryam Durani of Afghanistan, Mrs Obama, Mrs Clinton, Samar Badawi of Saudi Arabia, Shad Begum of Pakistan, and Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih of Sudan.
Still, the first lady said: ‘We've come a long way, ladies.’
‘We as a nation benefit from every girl whose potential is fulfilled, from every woman whose talent is tapped. We benefit as a nation,’ Mrs Obama Thursday.
‘We as a nation benefit from their intelligence, from their hard work, from their creativity, from their leadership.
Silver streak: Mrs Obama showed off her toned biceps with a silver sheath dress accented with a diamond wreath pin
‘And that's not just true here in America. Time and again, we have seen that countries across the globe are more prosperous, they're more peaceful when women are more equal and have the rights and opportunities they deserve.’
Mrs Obama echoed comments earlier in the day by Mrs Clinton, who implored the Middle Eastern countries of Egypt and Tunisia to let women make decisions.
The two countries are undergoing a transition from autocracy to democracy, and so she sees this as an ideal time to involve women in the task of reshaping their governments.
‘The United States will stand firmly for the proposition that women must be included in whatever process goes forward,’ said Mrs Clinton, who was joined at the event by Mrs Obama.
‘No government can succeed if it excludes half of its people from important decisions.’
At the White House, Mrs Obama told her mostly female audience that their presence was a ‘perfect illustration’ of the progress made since International Women's Day was first celebrated 100 years ago.
She said American women are now the majority of college graduates and nearly half the work force.
They're leaders in business and serve at the highest levels of government and the military, she said.
Tender touch: Mrs Obama is seen here with Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih of Sudan who, like all of the recipients, was awarded for her work to help improve the lives of women around the globe
‘While we've made some important strides, all of you in this room know better than anyone else that this work is far from finished,’ she said.
‘We have so, so much more to do.’
In addition to Thursday’s events, the White House event also recognized March as Women's History Month in the U.S.
At the State Department, Mrs Clinton also recognized 10 women for efforts ranging from promoting good governance in Cameroon to combating such scourges as sexual harassment in China, domestic abuse in Afghanistan and ‘honor killings’ in Jordan.
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