After stepping down from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates has pledged to donate $1 billion over two years. This donation will be primarily directed towards efforts surrounding women and family rights.

The women empowerment pioneer has already started distributing the grants. One of the recipients is The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom covering topics on gender, politics, and policy. The Women’s Policy Research, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, is also a recipient. These examples are a testament to the future that French Gates is trying to build—equality and security in all spaces.

Pulling from personal experience

French Gates has experience working in a male-dominated tech field. She has also shared that she almost quit early on in her career because of “bro culture,” which is quite rampant in industries dominated by men. Luckily, she powered through, driven by the purpose of practicing a different kind of leadership.

Outside of the workplace, French Gates is busy advocating for women’s rights in the country. She’s a mother and granddaughter who’s naturally worried about what the future brings for the next generation of females. Issues surrounding violence against women and rulings against women’s reproductive rights show that women need people on their side to push for both their rights and protection.

However, these concerns aren’t simply limited to one’s personal circle; they echo worldwide. And they spurred French Gates to be vocal and purposeful with her advocacy. And she doesn’t plan to do it alone. The $1 billion donation will include grants totaling $200 million for organizations advocating women’s reproductive rights. $240 million will also go to advocates and influential leaders, giving them the financial resources to fund groups doing important work in women’s health.

The significance of the advocacy

Melinda French Gates’s decision to focus her support on women and girls makes excellent sense, not just socially and morally but also economically. Research has proven time and time again that investing in addressing women’s issues accelerates progress and benefits the entire population. For example, closing gender wage gaps can amp up productivity in sectors such as agriculture which can help decrease global hunger and malnutrition.

Additionally, violence against women leads to physical and mental health issues. Such issues prevent them from pursuing an education or a profession. Impeding economic participation not only impacts the individual woman’s future but also leads to a loss of up to $1.5 trillion in global GDP. Melinda French Gates and other women’s rights advocates help build a better, more secure, and economically sound world for everyone by supporting efforts that educate, empower, and protect women.

More about Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates is a celebrated businesswoman, philanthropist, and vocal advocate for women’s rights. She also has an illustrious education under her belt. In addition to her degrees in economics and computer science, she earned an MBA from Duke University. She joined Microsoft in 1987, where she met her ex-husband, Bill Gates.

As a philanthropist, she co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. Since then, she has significantly contributed to various areas, including global health, poverty alleviation, and education. In 2015, she created Pivotal Ventures with the mission to push for social progress, including gender equality.

For over 20 years, Melinda French Gates has championed global progress, earning recognition as one of BBC’s 100 Women of 2021.