Clinton says "divisions run deep" in first public appearance since election loss

Defeated US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has made her first public appearance since her largely unexpected loss to Republican Donald Trump.

In a speech given to the Children's Defense Fund charity foundation in Washington, the former secretary of state spoke of her disappointment at the results of the election, and said that the country remains deeply divided in the aftermath of Trump's win.

"The divisions laid bare by this election run deep. But please listen to me when I say this: America is worth it," said Clinton. "I urge you, please don't lose heart, don't give up on the values we share."

Clinton added that it was a difficult decision to come to speak at the event, and appeared in a much more sombre mood and much less made up than during her campaign.

"I will admit coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me," Clinton told the audience. "There have been a few times this past week when all I've wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house ever again."

The founder of the Children's Defense Fund is Marian Wright Edelman, a long-time friend of the Clinton family, who the former first lady paid tribute to durng the speech.

She said that she took inspiration from the charity worker, who had shown her "when you get knocked down, you get back up."