As an advisor to her father’s White House, Ivanka Trump touted her efforts to empower women across the developing world.
But a new report from the Government Accountability Office identified deep-seeded problems with the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) she championed.
So fundamental were these shortcomings, in fact, that the agency tasked with distributing W-GDP funds was unable to define what constitutes a business owned and operated by women.
The report, released Wednesday, explains that the W-GDP tasked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to distribute funds to female entrepreneurs and those living in poverty. But the GAO concluded that the USAID failed to establish clear parameters for what constitutes either criteria. The report also said the USAID did not collect adequate data on how the funds were distributed, who received them, and how they were used. Under the bipartisan legislation that created the W-GDP, the USAID is obligated to handout $265 million a year to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
Politico reports that Ivanka Trump’s team was heavily involved in W-GDP, often participating in weekly or even daily phone calls on the initiative. She frequently referenced the program in speeches and media appearances.
A senior Trump official told Politico that they inherited “a tangled mess of women’s policy programs,” and deflected blame on career bureaucrats.
The GAO report made six recommendations to improve the program. The USAID said they accept all of them. The agency is currently being run by an interim director as President Biden’s pick to lead the agency, former UN Ambassador Samantha Power, awaits confirmation.
