Melania Trump speaks: honors ‘courageous’ women, including two from countries on husband’s travel ban

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)

March 29--In a rare public appearance Wednesday, Melania Trump told a group of international female activists that it's important for the world community to champion female empowerment and global diversity and to stand up against violence towards women and children.

The First Lady, 46, spoke to a room full of attendees at the State Department's International Women of Courage Award luncheon. The annual event recogonizes women from around the world who have demonstrated "exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women's empowerment, often at great personal risk."

Prior to the event, Melania issued a statement through the White House saying that she was "deeply humbled" to honor 12 "remarkable and inspirational women."

"Together, we must declare that the era of allowing the brutality against women and children is over while affirming that the time for empowering women around the world is now," she said.

The 12 honorees at Wednesday's event included women from Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Yemen.

Two of those countries, Syria and Yemen, are among six listed on President Donald Trump's second executive order designed to bar citizens from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Trump's travel restrictions are currently frozen by rulings by federal judges.

In her speech, Melania added that "wherever women are diminished, the entire world is diminished with them." But she noted that "wherever women are empowered, towns and villages, schools and economies are empowered, and together we are all made strong with them."

For these reasons, she said, "We need to continue working toward gender empowerment and respect for people from all backgrounds and ethnicities, always remembering that together we are one race -- the human race -- and each one of us has unique gifts and talents to share with the world," she said.

The women honored have overcome injustice, including domestic violence, environmental disaster, gender bias and acid attacks, and gone on to transform their societies, often in the face of personal danger, CNN reported.

No doubt, some will see a disconnect between Mrs. Trump's words praising gender empowerment and global diversity in light of the words and actions of her husband and his administration. Melania didn't mention him or his administration during her 10-minute remarks.

President Trump wants to defund Planned Parenthood, seen as a vital service provider for women's health nationally and globally. His administration has also made two attempts to issue travel bans on immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, including Syria and Yemen, which are ravaged by civil wars, human rights abuses and violence inflicted by ISIS and other terrorist groups.

During last year's campaign, the 70-year-old real estate mogul also made headlines for a variety of sexist and anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant comments. Critics of the president and of Melania see her as one of his chief enablers, while her supporters regard her as a loyal wife and mother who is trying to do her best in a difficult job.

Wednesday's outing marks the latest attempt by the White House to show that the reclusive Melania is in fact embracing her role as First Lady. After Trump was elected president, Melania refused to move into the White House saying that she and her 11-year-old son would remain in New York City until the end of his school year.

A Washington Post story Monday described her as a "virtual shut in" in her Trump Tower triplex in Manhattan and noted that she has only made a handful of public appearances since her husband's Jan. 20 inauguration.

However, Melania's new communications director, Stephanie Grisham, who only came on board this week, assured the Washington Post that the First Lady will become more of a visible presence. She said that the First Lady is expected to have a "very busy upcoming week in D.C."

On Tuesday night she and her husband hosted a White House event for senators and their spouses. Presumably Melania's appearance at Tuesday night's event and Wednesday's luncheon is part of that very busy week.

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