--- description: French Gates is founder of Pivotal and co-founder and former co-chair of the Gates Foundation title: TIME | Current & Breaking News | National & World Updates image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Melinda French Gates ## Melinda French Gates Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close French Gates is founder of Pivotal and co-founder and former co-chair of the Gates Foundation ## Melinda French Gates Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close *  Apr 10, 2025 ### [Melinda French Gates on Parenting Lessons](https://time.com/7275478/melinda-french-gates-the-next-day-excerpt-parenting/) We need the discipline to separate our own needs from our children’s and the wisdom to know when to ... [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Jun 23, 2023 ### [We Need More Women in Public Office. Here’s How to Get Them There](https://time.com/6289240/melinda-french-gates-women-running-for-office/) Melinda French Gates on why she's focusing on getting more women in public office [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Mar 8, 2023 ### [3 Ways to Help End Child Marriage](https://time.com/6260844/ending-child-marriage-amal-clooney-melinda-french-gates-michelle-obama/) Amal Clooney, Melinda French Gates, and Michelle Obama on why stopping this practice is critical to ... [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Jun 21, 2022 ### [Decisions Are Still Being Made For Women, Instead of By Them. We’re Suffering As a Result](https://time.com/6189495/roe-overturn-women-leadership/) [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Sep 20, 2021 ### [Melinda French Gates: Our Economy Is Powered by Caregivers. That’s Why It’s Time for National Paid Leave](https://time.com/6098412/melinda-french-gates-paid-leave/) [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Jan 15, 2021 ### [Women Must Be Equal Partners Rebuilding After COVID-19](https://time.com/5929800/melinda-gates-womens-voices-rebuilding-covid-19/) The COVID-19 crisis that disproportionately impacted women should be followed by a recovery that put... [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Oct 2, 2019 ### [Here's Why I'm Committing $1 Billion to Promote Gender Equality](https://time.com/5690596/melinda-gates-empowering-women/) [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  May 24, 2018 ### [What Graduates Need to Hear at Commencement This Year](https://time.com/5287351/melinda-gates-commencement-speech/) Leaders shouldn't just offer wisdom. They should make promises [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Jan 4, 2018 ### [Melinda Gates: It's Time for a New Era for Women](https://time.com/5087358/melinda-gates-its-time-for-a-new-era-for-women/) [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Nov 20, 2017 ### [Melinda Gates: The World is Finally Listening. Me too. Me too. Me too.](https://time.com/5030114/melinda-gates-me-too/) [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) *  Jun 16, 2017 ### [Melinda Gates Shares the Essential Quality She Inherited From Her Father](https://time.com/4821462/melinda-gates-advice-from-father/) ‘His need to uncover the world’s mysteries was infectious’ *  May 17, 2017 ### [Melinda Gates: How I Raised a Feminist Son](https://time.com/4781066/melinda-gates-feminist-son-rory-gates/) 'He’s demonstrated his belief that gender equality is something worth standing up for' *  Jan 13, 2017 ### [Melinda Gates: We Can Honor MLK Jr Through Service](https://time.com/4634783/melinda-gates-mlk-jr-service/) 'Changing the world doesn't always look like changing the world' *  Nov 17, 2016 ### [Melinda Gates: The Photo That Influenced Me Most](https://time.com/4558803/melinda-gates-the-photo-that-influenced-me-most/) [WORLD](/section/world/) *  Mar 17, 2016 ### [Why Poverty Is Sexist](https://time.com/4262483/why-poverty-is-sexist/) [IDEAS](/section/ideas/) Meta: {"meta\_title":"","meta\_description":"","og\_title":"","og\_description":"","og\_imageConnection":{"edges":\[\],"\_\_typename":"SysAssetConnection"},"twitter\_card":null,"\_\_typename":"Seo"} ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://time.com/","name":"TIME","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/author/melinda-gates/","name":"Melinda French Gates"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://time.com/author/melinda-gates/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/author/melinda-gates/"},"name":"Melinda French Gates","jobTitle":"","description":"French Gates is founder of Pivotal and co-founder and former co-chair of the Gates Foundation","url":"https://time.com/author/melinda-gates/","sameAs":["https://x.com/melindagates"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TIME","url":"https://time.com/"}}] ```