Credit: et.usembassy.gov /  Adviser to the President Ivanka Trump with Sara Abera, the owner of Muya Ethiopia, a leading textile and handicrafts company in Addis Ababa Apr. 14, 2019

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC TIMES

The United States wants to help empower African women and is investing  a whopping $1 Billion in the initiative. Adviser to the President Ivanka Trump and David Bohigian, Acting President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, announced the launch of OPIC’s 2X Africa initiative to support investment in women in Africa.  The announcement was made during a U.S. Government delegation to the Horn of Africa nation Ethiopia this week.  Through the initiative, OPIC aims to unlock the full economic potential of women in Africa by catalyzing $1 billion, directly investing $350 million, to businesses and funds owned by women, led by women, or providing a good or service that intentionally empowers women on the continent.  Launched under OPIC’s broader 2X Women’s Initiative, 2X Africa will advance the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative a whole-of-government commitment to empowering women globally.

“For women to succeed as entrepreneurs and job creators we must ensure they have equal access to the financing necessary to start and grow their businesses. In furtherance of this goal, it is my honor to announce a new landmark initiative within W-GDP, 2X Africa, to directly invest capital into supporting women-owned, women-led, and women-supporting projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

-Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump said. 

“The launch of 2X Africa underscores OPIC’s recognition of the critical role that women play in tackling Africa’s most pressing development challenges.  By strengthening our focus on the women of Africa, OPIC will foster prosperity and stability in the region, and support the Administration’s important efforts to advance global women’s economic empowerment through W-GDP.”

OPIC Acting President and CEO David Bohigian.

While in Addis Ababa, Bohigian signed an letter of interest with a women owned business called Muya to help support the company through OPIC financing. Muya, founded in 2005 by female entrepreneurial fashion designer Sara Abera, produces high quality household products. The company is the first Ethiopian company to obtain membership in the World Fair Trade Organization.