MELINDA GATES DONATES $1 BILLION

Melinda French Gates has announced that she has committed to donate $1 billion to women’s causes around the world.

The news was announced in a New York Times guest essay of which Gates was the author.

In the essay, gates said she felt compelled to support US reproductive rights following the US Supreme Court’s decision to take away women’s right to have an abortion.

$200 million of the donation will go to organisations fighting for gender and reproductive rights that are based in the United States.

Her company, Pivotal Ventures, will be responsible for distributing the donations.

In the essay, she said $20 million will be donated to a “diverse group of 12 global leaders” to distribute to organisations of their choice before the end of 2026.

Gates, the former wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, recently announced that she would be stepping away from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The couple was married for 27 years before they split in 2021.

Image credit: ABC News