Melinda French Gates To Donate $1-B For Women’s Rights

Melinda French Gates announced she will donate $1 billion over the next two years to support individuals and organizations working for women's and families' rights globally, including reproductive rights in the United States, reported by Michelle Chapman and Thalia Beaty for the Associated Press (AP).

This marks French Gates' second billion-dollar commitment in the past five years. I Photo: Russell Watkins, DFID - UK Department of International Development Flickr

This marks French Gates' second billion-dollar commitment in the past five years. In 2019, she pledged to expand women's power and influence over a decade.

Recently, French Gates announced her departure from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, receiving $12 billion from Bill Gates to support her philanthropic endeavors. She plans to focus on women's and families' issues.

In an essay for the New York Times, French Gates expressed frustration with the slow progress on gender equality, citing decades of research showing the benefits of investing in women and girls.

She also announced $200 million in new grants through her organization, Pivotal Ventures, to support US groups working to protect women's rights and advance their power and influence.