Melinda French Gates to donate $1bn in women's rights

Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates announced Tuesday that she is committing $1 billion (£782.4m) over the next two years to women’s causes and gender equity around the world.

About $200 million (£157m) will go to organisations fighting for gender and reproductive rights in the US.

In a New York Times guest essay, Ms French Gates said she felt compelled to support US reproductive rights following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion.

The annonucement comes two weeks after Ms French Gates said she would step back from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic powerhouse she co-founded with her former husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.