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WOMEN FIRST: Ivanka Trump

IVANKA TRUMP has travelled to Ethiopia in a bid to promote a US Government initiative aimed at advancing women’s participation in the workplace.

The Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) seeks to reach 50 million women in the developing world by 2025 through US Government activities, private-public partnerships and a new fund, according to their website.

The initiative, which launched in February, plans to increase4 women’s global labour force participation and advancement in the workforce. The launch of the initiative coincided with President Trump’s proposed cuts to foreign and and a ban on US aid to health groups that promote abortions.

During her time in Ethiopia, Ms Trump toured a female run textile facility in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa.

She also visited a clothes manufacturing company, Muya Ethiopia, which exports clothes to local and international markets.

Ms Trump was seen touring the company alongside the founder, Sara Abera.

An idea to export products steeped in Ethiopian heritage impacted an entire community at #MuyaEthiopia. @USAID helped Muya grow from 10 employees to over 500, and today I’m proud to announce @OPIC’s financial commitment to continue Muya’s growth! #WGDP pic.twitter.com/RBrGA97ndU

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) April 14, 2019

During her visit to the Ethiopian Women in Coffee Association , Ms Trump said: “Fundamentally we believe that investing in women is a smart development policy and it's smart business.

“It is also in our security interests because women when they are empowered they foster peace and stability and we have seen this play out time and time again.”

In addition, Ms Trump will attend a World Bank policy summit whole in Ethiopia and will visit Ivory Coast later this week to visit a cocoa farm and participate in a meeting about economic opportunities for women in West Africa.

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