By all accounts, lawmakers seem cautiously optimistic about the discussion. “The prioritization of women across the United States’ security structures and diplomatic efforts is fundamental to preventing conflict and forging a durable peace worldwide,” Sen. Shaheen said in the statement. “We need female representation on the world stage to accurately reflect the makeup of communities directly impacted by violence and armed conflict.”

But the jury is still out on whether Ivanka’s new initiative will be effectively implemented, and more importantly, deliver a transformation for women and societies in developing countries, or whether she is simply paying lip service to the importance of empowering women to bolster the reputation of her father’s divisive administration.

Meanwhile, no attention should be diverted from the fact that the US government’s stringent anti-abortion policies, which have withdrawn aid from “any foreign-based organization that performs, promotes or offers information on abortion,” have already endangered women’s lives in Africa and South Asia.

Image; Getty

Ivanka Trump just announced another global empowerment initiative, but will it actually help women?