Former First Lady Michelle Obama said men feel they are entitled and women protect them too much.

She told the first Obama Foundation international summit men are raised to be babies while women are brought up to be strong.

'It's like the problem in the world today is we love our boys, and we raise our girls,' Obama said.

'We raise them to be strong, and sometimes we take care not to hurt men - and I think we pay for that a little bit.

Michelle Obama said she believed men are raised to be babies while women are brought up to be strong.

The former First Lady told men 'y'all should get you some friends' to develop a support network in the same way women do

'Are we protecting our men too much so they feel a little entitled and self-righteous sometimes? But, that's kind of on us too as women and mothers, as we nurture men and push girls to be perfect.'

The former First Lady told men 'y'all should get you some friends' to develop a support network in the same way women do.

'Talk to each other, because that's the other thing [women] do - we straighten each other out on some things, our girlfriends,' she said.

'It's powerful to have strong men, but what does that strength mean? You know, does it mean respect? Does it mean responsibility? Does it mean compassion?'

Barack Obama kicked off the first-ever Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, a two-day event that aims to inspire a new generation of leaders on Tuesday.

About 500 civic leaders from Chicago and around the world took part in the summit.