Ivanka Trump has arrived in Tokyo for a very brief trip to speak about women’s participation in the economy at the World Assembly of Women, an annual conference sponsored by the Japanese government.
Trump, who is attending event at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinz? Abe, will be introduced by the Prime Minister on Friday morning, according to a White House official, signaling Japan’s interest in developing relationships with the Trump administration.
Her speech is expected to nod to the host country. She will talk about women in Japan who have inspired her, praise Abe’s paid family leave policy, and will also reference Abe’s “womenomics” movement, which has implemented policies for increased women’s participation to achieve economic growth.
Traveling on a 14-hour commercial flight from Washington, she was met at the gate by Ambassador William Hagerty and his wife, Chrissy. A large assembly of local media greeted a sunglasses-clad Trump, cameras flashing, as she came down the elevator at Narita International Airport. Joined by staff, Trump ate a traditional Kaiseki dinner in Tokyo Thursday evening.
Trump will lay out “four fundamental changes that will propel women into the future” of the global economy, according to excerpts of her prepared remarks, highlighting the real estate developer turned entrepreneur turned senior adviser to the president’s work in the West Wing.
Trump will urge business and government leaders to “pave the way in modernizing the workplace” and call for “public policies that address the composition of our modern workforce,” noting the administration’s current push on tax reform. She will also say the administration is “deeply committed” to working with bipartisan members of Congress on paid family leave, acknowledging that “we know this will take time (in the US),” per the excerpts.
She is also expected to talk about workforce development and women’s participation in STEM fields, something that’s also been a priority for her West Wing portfolio.
The Friday speech will also address a broader message of empowering women in countries that prevent them from leading.
“Countries like the United States and Japan cannot be complacent. We must continue to champion reforms in our own countries while also empowering women in restricted economies,” she will say, according to the excerpts, noting the US and Japan’s involvement with the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, a World Bank facility she spearheaded.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are also Japan-bound, though the first daughter is expected to depart over the weekend. The President will travel to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, as well.
Ivanka Trump had planned to travel with the presidential delegation, which includes her husband, Jared Kushner, from Tokyo to Seoul and Beijing but canceled her meetings to return to the US, where she will continue her ongoing pitch on tax reform. While the President is in Asia, Trump is expected to spend next week visiting key House districts, meeting with lawmakers and making media appearances on the subject of tax reform and the child tax credit.
