Ivanka deserved jeers at conference

Re It’s complicated, April 27 No matter which role she was representing — first daughter, assistant to the president or entrepreneur — having Ivanka Trump participate in a conference on women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship was a sad and hypocritical joke, insulting to the other panellists and to women everywhere.

In her family/political roles, through her words and her silence, Ivanka Trump has never stood up for women’s rights, has never supported anything but her father and Trumpness.

She sat silent as Trump has imperiled the health, maternal and otherwise, of millions of American woman. Through her silence and her deflections she has defended his despicable harassing comments and actions toward women in his orbit. And, after being given a piece of the family branding business to play with, to portray her as a successful entrepreneur is like crediting a touchdown drive to someone who started on the one-yard line.

She deserved the jeers she received and until/unless she actually starts walking the talk on women’s issues, I hope she receives lots more. Michael Farrell, Oakville

While it is none too surprising that a Washington Post piece would focus entirely on Ivanka Trump’s involvement at the women’s summit in Berlin, where is the Star’s coverage of Chrystia Freeland’s input?

Why put her image on the front page if the Star otherwise ignores her? She is one of Trudeau’s most effective cabinet ministers, after all, and Canadians deserve to know what she had to say. Ron Brown, East York

My husband and I were disappointed in watching Ivanka Trump defending her father’s “commitment to women’s issues,” which we all know is questionable to say the least.

We were also disappointed in observing Chrystia Freeland, who was sitting to her right, nodding and smiling as Ivanka was trying to defend her father’s actions. Although we are sure Freeland does not condone Trump’s treatment of women, by smiling and nodding, it has the appearance of doing just that.

The other women we could see in the video, were respectfully listening but it was obvious that they were unmoved by Ivanka’s defence. Beryl Simpson, Oakville