In a candid interview with Vanity Fair, Melinda French Gates has shared her personal experiences with sexism in the philanthropic sector, revealing how her expertise was often overshadowed by her ex-husband, Bill Gates. Despite their long-standing collaboration on philanthropic efforts over the past 25 years, French Gates recounted frequent instances where meetings would default to Bill Gates, with others presuming she had less knowledge and influence.
Experiencing Sexism in High-Level Meetings
French Gates reflected on how, during meetings with world leaders, the default assumption was that Bill Gates held the greater authority. “If I went into a president or prime minister’s office and I was with my ex-husband, they would turn to him first,” she said. “Unless I interrupted the conversation, they could have just kept going for the whole meeting. I get that he was well-known and did great things in the tech industry, but why would they assume I knew less than him about philanthropy when we had been doing it together for almost 25 years? Why make that false assumption? That, really, was sexism.”
Looking Forward with Renewed Energy
As she enters a new chapter of her career, French Gates expressed excitement about her upcoming projects. “I feel extraordinarily energized about the work ahead,” she said. “It feels like now is the right time. I never realized that going into my sixth decade, turning 60 could be so exciting. Now, I’m the sole decision-maker about these resources. So that’s just—it’s different than before. Quite honestly, it feels quite good. When I get a meeting now, I know it’s because of me.”
Bill Gates Calls for Increased Support for Africa
In a related philanthropic update, Bill Gates has advocated for increased support from wealthier nations for African countries. Gates noted that recent global aid trends, including substantial funding for the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine and refugee support, have led to a decrease in resources allocated to Africa. He stressed the importance of addressing critical needs such as debt relief, vaccinations, and efforts to combat malnutrition.
Gates’ comments were made alongside the release of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeeper’s report, which evaluates progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and assesses adherence to development promises made in 2015.
