Ivanka Trump Is In Japan For Women's Empowerment, So Get Inspired Already
The president's daughter arrived in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday, Nov. 2, before his scheduled visit. She arrived first because Ivanka Trump is giving a speech in Japan on women's empowerment, among other things. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe invited Trump to speak about women's involvement in the economy and entrepreneurship at the World Assembly for Women 2017. The event is hosted by more than 60 women in politics, business and international organizations, aiming to create a "society where women shine."
In addition to her speech, which is happening on Nov. 3, Trump is expected to have dinner with Abe the same night. Trump, 36, arrives in Japan just a few days before her father and First Lady Melania Trump, who will be arriving in Japan on Sunday, Nov. 5 for a three-day visit of meetings and golf dates with the prime minister, according to CNN. The president is also expected to visit China, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. His daughter, however is not visiting the other countries because she is returning home to continue pushing for tax reform on the president's behalf. Abe is one of the few world leaders who has allied with President Trump even before he was elected, visiting him in New York to "build trust" with a U.S-Japan alliance. Abe also supports his aggressive agenda with North Korean policy, as Abe is conservative in his policies as well.
While Abe and President Trump are on great terms, many other world leaders have recognized how valuable it is to work with Ivanka, considering she is one of the president's closest, trusted advisers, according to CNN. Leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa have both built rapport with her. Merkel invited Trump to speak at the W20 Summit in April, and May joined Trump at the U.N. in an event to stop human trafficking. Last month, world leaders reportedly lined up to meet with Trump during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where she was accompanying her father. No need to worry if the president can't win over world leaders; he's got his daughter to lead the way.
One reason that world leaders may be flocking to the president's daughter and adviser is because she has been busy pushing policy since her father entered office. Her agenda has been highly focused on issues of women's empowerment, paid family leave, and, most recently, tax reform. Trump has been meeting with lawmakers on the Hill on her father's behalf, and spoke at a town hall in Pennsylvania on Monday, Oct. 30 to advocate for expanding child tax credit and her father's plans for tax reform. At the town hall, Trump said, "We're advocating strongly for the expansion of the child tax credit, we think it's critically important to help offer American families much needed relief and prioritize what's right for their families."
Women's empowerment is another key issue that she has taken on in her role as adviser. Aside from speaking at this event in Japan, Trump has helped start a fund with the World Bank to finance women entrepreneurs. Started in July, the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative has made about $1 billion available to improve access to capital for women starting businesses and projects.
Regardless of if she is well-liked or criticized among the American public, she has become a vital player in the game of politics — and may have a better shot at foreign relations than her father. The president's daughter is a powerful force in the Trump administration that is influencing policy change on the home front and actively meeting with world leaders. Needless to say, there's a reason why people are lining up to meet with her, and she therefore should not be underestimated.
