This Friday, Melinda French Gates will officially end her tenure as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (which will subsequently be changing its name to the Gates Foundation). According to a statement the philanthropist released on X last month, her next venture will be a $12.5 billion commitment to work on behalf of women and families. In the world of philanthropy, this is a big move; for the future course of women’s rights, it’s potentially seismic.
In an email to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation employees (later posted on LinkedIn), CEO Mark Suzman shared that “after a difficult few years watching women’s rights rolled back in the U.S. and around the world, she wants to use this next chapter to focus specifically on altering that trajectory.” French Gates is widely regarded as the most powerful woman in philanthropy, and rightfully so. She co-founded and built one of the largest charitable organizations in the world, wielding an endowment in the tens of billions and serving as co-chair for the past 24 years. According to the foundation, its endowment exceeded $75 billion at the end of last year.
Economic power is social power is political power. In that regard, French Gates holds immense power, and with a laser focus on shaping the future of women’s rights, the implications are profound. In her statement, French Gates made clear where she’s set her sights, stating, “This is a critical moment for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world—and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support.” Indeed, women’s rights are at a precarious juncture that will likely reverberate for decades to come. Around the world, women’s rights have been set back, like in Afghanistan, where decades of progress was undone in a matter of days when the Taliban returned to power and abruptly banned women and girls from getting an education, working outside of the home and public life altogether….
Click here to continue reading.
