On April 15, during a senior U.S. Government delegation to Ethiopia, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and David Bohigian, Acting President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), announced the launch of OPIC’s 2X Africa women’s initiative to support investment in women in Africa.
“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,” said Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump. “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.”
Through this 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.
“The launch of 2X Africa underscores OPIC’s recognition of the critical role that women play in tackling Africa’s most pressing development challenges,” said OPIC Acting President and CEO David Bohigian. “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.”
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.
Culled from US Department of State Official blog
