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Ivanka Trump tweeted a short video Monday. The clip, meant to highlight her involvement in setting up the Women Entrepreneur's Finance Initiative, didn't sit well with many. It wasn't the idea of the initiative, or of empowering women, that turned people off. People seem to be all for that.
The problem, as far as people were concerned, was Ivanka:
The only woman you're interested in empowering is yourself.#Complicit
— Ninja Mama (@NinjaMama617) October 16, 2017
Ivanka publicly pushes a narrative of female empowerment, but her clothing line is made by garment workers who are paid so little that many cannot afford to live with their children. These women are paid the lowest legal wage, which comes out to under $175 a month. They may get an extra $10 a month if they do not take any days off for menstruation, but many don't have access to pads/tampons/cups and staying out of work is more sanitary.
One worker actually laughed when she was told about Ivanka pushing women's empowerment and a work/life balance; the worker said her idea of a work/life balance would be if she could see her children more than once a month. The workers also acknowledged that they know who the Trumps are and do not agree with their policies, "but we're not in a position to make employment decisions based on our principals."
Twitter wasn't about to let Ivanka forget:
Except for those who work for your personal business, right Ivanka?
— Tam Huntley (@TammyHuntley69) October 17, 2017
...but only if they are already rich and aren't too busy working in my sweatshop shoe factory for slave wages.
— Stephanie (@stephMaCo) October 16, 2017
Helping finish the tweet ;)
Hypocritical coming from you. You have no idea what you're talking about & what about the women working your sweat shops. R they included?
— Paul Mayo (@PGDubRox) October 16, 2017
Paying women $1 an hour to make your shitty knock offs empowers them how, you crime family moll?
— Carl Allan Salonen (@CarlASalonen) October 17, 2017
How about taking care of the women who make your crappy clothes for slave wages in deplorable conditions? Start there, hypocrite.
— Judy (@coloradoperson) October 17, 2017
Lol, yeah let's start with paying the people that make your clothes line. You must be kidding me
— Carl Delellis (@carl_delellis) October 16, 2017
Empower women ??
— Raffaella77 (@HeelSpurs0) October 16, 2017
Like the sweatshop workers and the children you pay $1/hr
FRAUD#VacuousIvanka
People were quick to point out the disconnect between her message and the message of her father/employer:
You will empower them before or after your disgusting father sexually harasses them? Just wondering! #epicfail #sociopath #impeachtrump
— Ioannis Ioannou (@iioannoulbs) October 17, 2017
Your father is a misogynist p*ssy grabber who is sexually attracted to adolescent girls, so take your message to him
— Sarah Smith (@SarahLSmith677) October 17, 2017
Ivanka, talk about what your father is doing to women. That would be the first step to breaking down barriers.
— Kyle Stevens (@thekylestevens) October 16, 2017
You mean like by taking away their healthcare and reproductive rights? If so, then great job empowering women, lady-savior Vanky! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Alyssa B (@alyssab623) October 16, 2017
.@realDonaldTrump's attack on the ACA's birth control mandate not only attacked reproductive rights. It attacked women's economic freedom.
— Susan Gorham (@SusanGorham823) October 16, 2017
trumps talking about empowering women pic.twitter.com/46KdAihwje
— Cam Lopez (@camgallegos) October 17, 2017
Sure, a women entrepreneurs initiative is nice and all, but this user would prefer something else:
I would prefer healthcare, reproductive rights and a president who does not assault women, thank you.
— redheadedstepchild (@theo_allyn) October 16, 2017
Her tweet got thousands of comments and re-tweets. Unfortunately for Ivanka and for the initiative (which people seem to agree is a great idea), a hefty portion of them were full of criticisms and pointed out the blatant hypocrisy. In other words, major backlash happened.
Don't worry. One user had a suggestion for how Ivanka could avoid this happening again:
— w꙰t꙰f꙰ (@ThisIsntAnn) October 17, 2017
H/T: Guardian, Twitter, Huffington Post