Early May, Melinda French Gates announced her resignation as co-chair from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through a post on X (previously Twitter), effective from 7 June onwards, “to move forward into the next chapter of my philanthropy.”
On Tuesday, French Gates revealed the first steps of her new plan, wherein she would donate $1 billion through 2026 for the progress of women’s rights across the world through her organization, Pivotal Ventures.
In a New York Times op-ed, she mentioned that she came to the decision after the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022 put abortion rights under the discretion of individual states. French Gates pins the lack of resources as the cause of women’s rights groups to fold and take the defensive against “enemies,” essentially those against said progress of women’s rights.
“Women in 14 states have lost the right to terminate a pregnancy under almost any circumstances. We remain the only advanced economy without any form of national paid family leave.”
Given that the philanthropist had already been focused on improving access to contraception abroad, she felt compelled to do the same at her home, the US.
For decades, I’ve watched women and girls fight to get on the global agenda. It’s time women and girls set that agenda themselves.
I’m committing an additional $1 billion by 2026 to people and organizations working to advance women’s power globally. Here are some of the places… pic.twitter.com/zWSqRTBfX1
— Melinda French Gates (@melindagates) May 28, 2024
French Gates highlights the backtrack in women’s rights in recent years
“Decades of research on economics, well-being, and governance make it clear that investing in women and girls benefits everyone …That peace agreements are more durable when women are involved in writing them. That reducing the time women spend in poor health could add as much as $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040.”
The donation includes $200 million in grants to organizations advocating women’s reproductive rights. They include organizations such as The 19th and The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, which look at gender policy and the gender wage gap, respectively.
Emily Ramshaw, CEO and co-founder of The 19th said, “This support will bolster our critical politics and policy coverage in a seismic election year, allow us to make strategic investments in our audiences and our future, and lay the foundation for our long-term sustainability in a turbulent time for our industry.”
Alongside $200 million, $240 million would go to a diverse group composed of 12 leaders who would, in turn, grant the money to charity organizations whom they determine to be doing impactful work for improving women’s health and well-being across the world.
Finally, $250 million would be opened this fall and granted through Lever and Change, selecting organizations that work to benefit women’s overall health the world over.
Her ex-husband, Bill Gates, has expressed his well-wishes for French Gates philanthropy, saying “I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work.”
The couple announced their divorce three years ago, with French Gates meeting divorce lawyers ever since Gates’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein went public. While in July, French Gates agreed to remain co-chair of the Foundation post-divorce, she announced her resignation in early May.
“As a young woman, I could never have imagined that one day I would be part of an effort like this. Because I have been given this extraordinary opportunity, I am determined to do everything I can to seize it and to set an agenda that helps other women and girls set theirs, too,” concluded French Gates.
