American philanthropist Melinda Gates anounced on Tuesday that she is committing $1 billion over the next two years to women’s causes and gender equity globally.
About $200 million will go to organisations fighting for gender and reproductive rights in the US.
Ms Gates said she was convinced to offer support for US reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022
The announcement comes two weeks after Ms French Gates said she would resign as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The philanthropy she co-founded with her former husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
The funds will be distributed through her company, Pivotal Ventures, through 2026.
Apart from the $20m she plans to give to a “diverse group of 12 global leaders” to distribute to organisations of their choice in 2026, the company will earmark another $250 million for global organisations focused on women’s mental and physical health.
Centre for Reproductive Rights – which advocates for abortion rights and currently represents 50 women in lawsuits challenging abortion restrictions will be one of the grant recipients.
Other recipients include MomsRising, an organisation to support women’s economic security; the National Women’s Law Center, which focuses on the law as a means to improve gender equity; and the 19th, a nonprofit media outlet dedicated to gender and policy news.
The National Domestic Workers Alliance, which advocates for millions of nannies, housecleaners, home-care workers and others in the US, also received a grant.