Ivanka Trump Will Attend The Women's Economic Summit

Things just seem to keep getting better for Trump's oldest daughter. The entrepreneur and fashion mogul was given an official West Wing office earlier this week, and now she's receiving invites from international leaders to participate in diplomatic events. On Sunday, the Trump Administration announced that on an invite by Angela Merkel, Ivanka Trump will attend the women's economic summit in Berlin, also known as the W20 Summit.

The summit, which will take place in April, is an annual conference, launched in 2015, where women from each of the G20 countries meet to discuss female economic empowerment and opportunities. The G20 is a group of the world's largest economic powers, and the summit aims to promote gender-inclusive worldwide economic growth. Certain goals like increasing the number of women in leadership positions and eliminating workplace discrimination, will be at the forefront of the international conference.

Ivanka was invited to the W20 summit by the Chancellor of Germany when she visited the White House earlier in March. This will be the first daughter's second foray into international diplomacy since her father became President in January. In February, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited Trump to help organize a women's business initiative that would support female entrepreneurs. A few weeks later, he also invited her to attend a Broadway play about welcoming immigrants and accepting refugees — perhaps he was giving the administration a hint about inclusiveness.

Though Ivanka says she supports equal pay, paid maternal leave, and affordable childcare, it's disheartening when she doesn't speak up for other important things that concern women, like Planned Parenthood funding or protecting women's reproductive rights. In other words, her critics believe she could be exercising more voice than she does. But given the latest expansion of her role in the White House, diplomatic leaders could be starting to view her as a valuable voice of reason within what is arguably a chaotic administration. America may see her playing an even greater role in world affairs in the future, as well, especially relating to women's rights.

Ultimately, I believe that Ivanka's acceptance of Merkel's invitation to attend the W20 Summit could be a valuable first step (of what will hopefully be many) in the Trump Administration's efforts to promote gender equality and economic empowerment. I hope that she will discuss what she learns at the summit with the president, and that she will truly commit to advancing women's rights in America through her role in her father's administration.