Devex: Opinion: Women and girls are greatest return on foreign assistance investment
Lyric Thompson, director of policy and advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women

“…The leaked document [obtained by Foreign Policy outlining the Trump administration’s FY18 State Department and USAID budget request] paints a disastrous picture for foreign aid, and also reveals the Trump administration’s intentions to completely eliminate the gender architecture that has been a proud and bipartisan tradition over the course of several recent administrations. … [These budget details, however,] do not spell the end of the story for our budget and appropriations process. The power of the purse ultimately rests with Congress, and last week nearly 80 organizations came together with the International Center for Research on Women in calling on appropriators to honor American commitments to women and girls around the globe by fully funding our foreign assistance. … It is worth the penny that it costs on the American tax dollar to support women entrepreneurs and peacemakers, to defend against gender-based violence and promote maternal health. … Hopefully, our congressional leaders will agree” (5/1).