Women play a “critical role in advancing global peace and prosperity,” wrote Special Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump in an article last February. “When women are free to thrive, they bring national stability, as well as more jobs and economic growth. Expanding women’s economic participation has the potential to boost global economic output by an additional $12 trillion by 2025,” she said.
One day after the article was published, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum establishing the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative. This program, also known as W-GDP, aims to benefit 50 million women by the year 2025, providing them with quality education, training, and support, so they can secure and thrive in well-paying jobs in their local economies.
This Last month, leaders across the United States Government met to celebrate W-GDP’s first year, and to look at some of its successes.
As part of these efforts, the fund powering the W-GDP Initiative is managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development manages the W-GDP Fund. “W-GDP has already lifted the lives of 12 million women around the world. Nine million of those were direct beneficiaries of these programs,” said USAID Administrator Mark Green:
“In its very first year, the W-GDP fund has made investments across 44 countries, and to amplify its reach, W-GDP has collaborated with a large, diverse group of partners - partners across the private sector, NGOs, and local governments. In fact, 250 partners.”
“W-GDP works hard to tap into existing local networks. It's also forged partnerships with successful American companies that recognize that their business interests are best served when women are empowered around the world,” said Administrator Green.
“We are making historic progress on closing the gender credit gap and empowering women entrepreneurs to create jobs in their communities and growth in their economies,” said Presidential Advisor Ivanka Trump:
“In the coming year, we can work to empower millions of women to lift their families out of poverty, to grow the economies in their country, to reduce dependence, and to deliver on the promise of greater peace and prosperity.”
“The United States,” she said, “stands eager and ready to work with every country willing to take action to address discriminatory, legal, and regulatory barriers that hold women back and impede economic progress for all.”
