WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2019 – The United States commends the Government of Côte d’Ivoire for taking important steps forward in supporting women’s equality and economic empowerment. The passage of four new laws associated with the Family Code signals a new direction in Côte d’Ivoire that recognizes the critical role women play in advancing economic prosperity in their family, community, and for their country.
Through the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, established by President Trump in February 2019, the U.S. Government is working with governments in developing countries to change laws that prohibit women from freely participating in their economy, in turn producing a multiplier effect that spurs economic growth and contributes to global peace and stability. Advisor Ivanka Trump’s recent visit to Côte d’Ivoire highlighted President Ouattara’s ongoing efforts to further strengthen performance on MCC’s scorecard, with the goal of passing all 20 indicators by 2020, including the Gender in the Economy Indicator.
The United States encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to continue to raise awareness and make progress on women’s economic empowerment as these laws are implemented and adopted at the community level.
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In February 2019, President Trump established the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, the first whole-of-government effort to advance global women’s economic empowerment. W-GDP seeks to reach 50 million women in the developing world by 2025 through U.S. Government activities, private-public partnerships, and a new, innovative fund. Learn more about W-GDP at www.whitehouse.gov/wgdp.MCC is an independent U.S. Government agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth. Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to developing countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, from fighting corruption to respecting democratic rights. Learn more about MCC at www.mcc.gov.