Melinda French Gates reflects on sexism in philanthropy during her time working with Bill Gates; she says, “If I were to go into a …”

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has recalled the sexism she faced while working with her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Despite their 25 years of working together in philanthropy, French Gates recalled that meetings often defaulted to Bill Gates speaking because others viewed her lack of expertise.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Melinda Gates said: “If I went to the president’s or prime minister’s office with my ex-husband, they would talk to him first. Unless I interrupted the conversation, they might keep talking for the entire meeting. I know he is well-known in the technology industry and has done many great things, but why would they assume that I don’t know as much about philanthropy as he does, when we have been doing philanthropy together for nearly 25 years? Why make such a false assumption? It’s actually sexist.”

Outlook for renewable energy

Looking ahead, Frances Gates is enthusiastic about the work she is about to do. “I am very passionate about the work ahead. It feels like now is the right time. I never realized that turning 60, turning 60, would be so exciting. Now, I am the sole decision maker for these resources. So, it is different than before. It feels really good, to be honest. Now when I go into meetings, I know it is because of me,” she said.

Bill Gates calls for increased support for Africa

In a related philanthropy update, Bill Gates called on wealthy governments to increase their support for African countries. Gates stressed that recent global aid trends, including large amounts of funding for the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine and refugee support, have led to a decrease in resources targeted at Africa. Associated Press report.

Gates told Associated PressHe stressed the importance of supporting key needs such as debt relief, vaccinations and fighting malnutrition. His comments came as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation released its annual Goalkeepers Report, which assesses progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and evaluates how well countries are meeting their 2015 development commitments, the report added.