Ivanka Trump project seeks to help women in developing world

Ivanka Trump launched a White House effort aimed at helping 50 million women in the developing world get ahead economically over the next six years.

The White House on Thursday unveiled the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, a government-wide project led by the senior adviser and daughter to President Donald Trump.

The initiative will involve the State Department, the National Security Council and other agencies.

It aims to coordinate current programs and develop new ones to assist women in areas such as job training, financial support, and legal or regulatory reforms.

Calling it a "historic step," the president signed a national security memorandum to officially launch the effort, framing it as a way to promote stability around the world.

He was joined in the Oval Office by Ivanka Trump, elected officials, Cabinet members, business leaders and women who have benefited from such programs.

"Investing in women helps achieve greater peace and prosperity between nations, not only our nation, this is all nations, all over the world," Trump said.

Ivanka Trump, who will attend the Munich Security Conference next week to promote the project, stressed that she sees this as a national security priority.

"We think women are arguably the most undertapped resource in the developing world for accelerating economic growth and prosperity," she said.

The effort will draw on public and private resources, with the US Agency for International Development initially setting up a $50 million fund, using already-budgeted dollars.

As part of the launch, USAID and Pepsi Co. announced a partnership aimed at women in India, and USAID and UPS an agreement designed to help female entrepreneurs export goods.

Trump has twice tried unsuccessfully to slash USAID's budget by a third, and his "America first" foreign policy has sought to limit the United States' role as an international leader.

But his daughter told The Associated Press that this effort was in keeping with administration goals, arguing it was a strategic investment that promoted security.

"We're proud of our legacy of being a generous nation, looking to uplift others around the world. But we want to do so in a fiscally responsible way," she said, promising "rigorous" efforts to track progress.