Melinda French Gates to donate $1B over next 2 years in support of women’s rights

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN
AP Business Writer

Melinda French Gates says she will be donating $1 billion over the next two years to individuals and organizations working on behalf of women and families globally, including on reproductive rights in the United States. French Gates, who is known as one of the biggest philanthropic supporters of gender equity in the U.S., said in a guest essay for The New York Times on Tuesday that she’s been frustrated over the years by people who say it’s not the right time to talk about gender equality.