Osaka (Japan), Jun 29 (AP) Group of 20 leaders have joined their host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in showcasing support for helping women close the gap with men in finance and other forms of economic empowerment.

Ivanka Trump, adviser to President Donald Trump, said Saturday that the world economy would get a boost of up to USD 28 trillion by 2025 if women were on an equal economic footing.

She was speaking at a special session on the issue at the G-20 summit in Osaka that included her father.

She described improving the status of women as "smart economic and defense policy."

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the UN secretary-general's special advocate for inclusive finance for development, says "it is really necessary to close this gap for women to be economically empowered." (AP)

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