Gates Commits $20 Million to Women's Groups
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will give $20 million during the next three years to strengthen women’s groups worldwide, Ms. Gates said Wednesday during an event in New York.
While details are still forthcoming, the foundation said the money will support research, training, and groups of other donors already active in the field. It will also be used to bolster grass-roots women’s campaigns in the developing world.
While the money is a tiny slice of the foundation’s more than $40 billion in assets, it represents a shift. In the past, Gates has not focused its grant making on strengthening grass-roots organizations. Instead, it has made science the cornerstone of its international development work, collecting data on things like vaccines and agricultural techniques to accomplish gains in global health and other areas. . .