Ivanka Trump in Africa to promote women at work program

Leaving behind the White House battles over border walls and tax returns Ivanka Trump is visiting Ethiopia and Ivory Coast in pursuit of a very different goal advancing a global womens program she hopes will outlast an administration better known for America First isolationismThe presidents daughter and senior adviser arrived in Africa on Sunday on a commercial flight opening a fourday swing to advocate for an initiative that aims to boost 50 million women in developing countries by 2025Her plans include visiting with women working in the coffee industry and touring a femalerun textile facility as well as meeting with dignitaries and appearing at a World Bank policy summitBut even thousands of miles from Washington Trump is sure to be shadowed by her fathers efforts to cut international aid as well as his past disparaging comments about the continent While she has drawn praise for taking on this project and for making this trip the contrast between her priorities and those of many others in the White House was evidentOn the continent reactions to the visit reflected the contradictions of her roleActivist Marakie Tesfaye who founded a group in Ethiopia for women welcomed the attention saying I think shes coming genuinely to empower women and its good that shes coming because she will push forward our agendaEthiopian journalist Sisay Woubshet was more sceptical citing President Donald Trumps past comments and adding I dont think people will have a good feeling about his daughters visit this time around to promote her global initiative towards women For Ivanka Trump those challenges come with the territoryShe has spent two years promoting a familyfriendly agenda in an administration focused on hardline immigration tactics and protectionist trade policies To questions about international aid spending she has previously said the administration strives to be generous in a fiscally responsible way and has argued that investing in her project which builds on previous White House efforts is a way to promote security in developing countriesDuring her travels Ivanka Trump will be accompanied by Mark Green administrator of the US Agency for International Development The textile facility they are to visit got started with funding from USAID and Overseas Private Investment Corporation which provides loans loan guarantees and political risk insurance funding projects that stretch across continents and industriesWhile in Ethiopia they will be joined by OPIC Acting President David Bohigian OPIC is set to announce a new initiative in AfricaIvanka Trump was also expected to announce additional support for businesses And she was to meet with Ethiopian President SahleWork Zewde and Prime Minister Abiy AhmedFrom Ethiopia Ivanka Trump was headed to Ivory Coast where she was to visit a cocoa farm as well as participate in a meeting on economic opportunities for women in West Africa The gathering is part of the World Banks Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative a program Ivanka Trump pushed the bank to introduce The first daughter will be joined in the Ivory Coast by a congressional delegation that will include Sen Lindsey Graham RSC a close ally of the White HouseIvanka Trumps trip comes not long after first lady Melania Trump did a solo tour of the continent with a focus on child wellbeing Like her stepdaughter Mrs Trump faced many of the same questions about the priorities of the president who was roundly criticized last year after his private comment about shole countries in Africa became publicThe Trump administration put out an Africa policy late last year that largely sought to counter what it called the predatory practices of China and Russia in the region It was viewed with scepticism by some critics coming two years into his administration and following his disparaging comments about the continent So far the president has made no plans to travel there himselfThe new global womens initiative involves the State Department the National Security Council and other US agencies It aims to assist women in developing countries with job training financial support and legal or regulatory reforms Money for the effort will come through USAID which initially set up a 50 million fund using dollars already budgeted The presidents 2020 budget proposal requests another 100 million for the initiative which will also be supported by programs across the government as well as private investmentExperts praised the governmentwide approach which will incorporate new and existing programs though some stressed that it was still early in the process The investment comes as the president is proposing cuts to foreign aid and as the administration is expanding a ban on US aid to groups that promote or provide abortionsThe part of the proposal which is around looking at laws iquest that is a good thing to focus on said Charles Kenny a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development referencing the initiatives support for changing laws regulations and customs that create barriers preventing women from fully participating in the workforceBut he said the abortionrelated ban could have a negative economic impact saying that I think one of the most powerful tools for womens economic empowerment is the ability to choose when and how many children they haveDaniel Runde of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said Ivanka Trump was strategically building on the work of past administrations calling her an effective goodwill ambassador for the issues and a smart emissary to send to AfricaSecretary of State Hillary Clinton provided highlevel attention to these issues said Runde who previously worked for the USAID and is an informal adviser to the administration on development policy Ivanka Trump is playing a similar role to the role that Secretary Clinton playedCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates