Ivanka Trump praises Saudi Arabia on women’s rights after the Saudis donate $100 million to a World Bank fund she proposed
Ivanka Trump has praised the progress of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia saying it was “encouraging”, after the Saudis pledged to donate $100 million to a project for women entrepreneurs coordinated by the World Bank, according to the Independent.
Ivanka proposed the World Bank fund for women, but she does not control it or raise money for it, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“In every country around the world women and girls continue to face unique systematic, institutional, cultural barriers, which hinder us from fully engaging in and achieving true parity of opportunity within our communities. Each of you know this to be true. And yet the stories of Saudi women, such as yourselves, catalyzing change, inspire me to believe in the possibility of global women’s empowerment,“ Ivanka said at a meeting in Saudi Arabia, which is now hosting the official US presidential delegation.
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Recently, Saudi Arabia allowed women to vote in local elections, but they still aren’t allowed to drive cars, or walk on the street unescorted by men.
The controversy over the discrimination Saudi women face and the blatant violation of basic human rights is a very sensitive issue. In fact, journalists were asked to leave the room before issues around women’s equality would be discussed.
In fact, American officials didn’t even raise concerns regarding women’s rights, as noted by the the state department’s past reports on human rights.
The Trump administration has also discussed a $110 billion deal in which Saudi Arabia will buy U.S. arms to help it counter Iran, with options running as high as $350 billion over 10 years, according to Reuters.
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