by Engidu Woldie
ESAT News (April 15, 2019)
Daughter and senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump is in Ethiopia on Monday as part of her tour in Africa to promote her father’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative.
The four-day Africa trip also includes Ivory Coast and promotes U.S. plan to help 50 million women in Africa and developing countries elsewhere.
In Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, she visited a coffee shop and a textile company run by women and announced additional support to the projects through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Ivanka’s trip comes amid her father’s push to cut international aid and his belittling “shithole countries” comment last year about Africa and Haiti.
Trump’s 2020 budget proposal requested a further $100 million for the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative.
“Investing in women is smart development policy and it’s smart business,” Ivanka Trump was quoted as saying in Addis Ababa, adding “it’s also in our security interest, because women, when we’re empowered, foster peace and stability.”
In Addis Ababa, she met and held talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Sahlework Zewde. They discussed on promoting women’s participation in business and their role in economic development.
Ivanka has also laid a wreath of flowers on the graves of victims of Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crash last month in which all 157 passengers and crew members died.