On Tuesday, three Central Md. Girl Scouts joined guests at a reception hosted by Mrs. Obama at the White House to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of women and girls for International Women’s Day.

Here’s a video of the First Lady greeting the girls:

The First Lady addressed all of the guests and spoke about expanding opportunities for women and girls in America and all over the world.

As more opportunities have become open to women, it hasn’t just enriched our own lives.  As we all know, it’s enriched the life of this nation.  And that’s one of the reasons why we have to do this, because we need to remind ourselves and our country that we’re here because of us.  Because we as a nation benefit from every girl whose potential is fulfilled; from every woman whose talent is tapped.  We benefit as a nation.  We as a nation benefit from their intelligence, from their hard work, from their creativity, from their leadership.

-Michelle Obama, International Women’s Day 2011

Watch her full address here.