Opinion

OPINION: Ivanka Trump Is America’s Wonder Woman

Anna Paulina Contributor
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Anyone in America, regardless of their political affiliation or engagement, knows that the first family and the last name “Trump” are two of the most attacked subjects in the media, Yet, amidst constant bombardment, countless slanderous articles and personal attacks, one family member in particular has channeled her energy into developing a platform that is not only empowering and protecting American women, but women globally.

The question we find ourselves asking is: “Who is Ivanka Trump?” She is well-known as a first daughter and wife of Jared Kushner, half of a political power couple taking Washington, D.C. by storm. The more we dig the more we find that she embodies what it means to be a true feminist: an entrepreneur, wife, mother, sister, daughter and female rights activist.

Ivanka has meticulously and thoughtfully designed an initiative set to launch this month. Working with both political parties, it will support women’s economic development around the world. The initiative aims to encourage female entrepreneurship and give women access to vocational training, as well as navigate legal and social barriers that otherwise restrict women from economic participation. The initiative has gained backing from the State Department, National Security Council and private investors alike.

As a young Latina growing up in Los Angeles, I saw the struggles faced when a mother cannot support her children and is born into the welfare system and poverty. I grew up in a single-mother household with two younger siblings. The cycle of debt, welfare and struggle are all things my mother, grandmother and I knew all too well.

The simple idea of female empowerment via economic opportunity and entrepreneurship was something we were not familiar with. It was not until I broke the cycle by joining the military and learning a trade myself that I realized how important it is for a woman to be able to financially support, contribute, and care for herself, and the effect it can have in enabling a family to escape poverty — especially in minority communities where a lower socioeconomic status is prevalent.

I later started a small dress company and gifted it to my mother in order to help her pay her own way out of debt, and to help our family more broadly. I know the importance of helping women to innovate; Ivanka’s initiative could help women around the world in a way that no other movement has before.

There is a saying among women, especially in the day and age of digital media: “Strong women empower other women.” Ivanka Trump has embodied this concept, and through her actions, will lift women around the world out of horrendous conditions, danger and poverty, simply because she cares.

Ivanka’s work and character speak volumes. Let’s be honest; the daughter of a billionaire could have done anything she wanted. She could have done what many heiresses do: nothing. Instead, she chooses to actively participate in female empowerment on a global scale and to leave a legacy behind that only few could rival. With great power comes great responsibility, and through her works and actions we find that Ivanka is a real-life Wonder Woman — a role model all women could learn from.

Anna Paulina (@RealAnnaPaulina)  served in the Air Force as an E-4 senior airman and is presently the director of Hispanic engagement for Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit aimed at encouraging student civic engagement.


The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.