Scared for Grandaughter, Melinda Gates Offers $20 Million to Track and Field Icon Allyson Felix: “May Grow up with Fewer Rights”

Jennifer Gates once mentioned her mother as a “kind mom, woman, and hero.” And surely, Melinda Gates’ latest endeavor proves that she is all those and much more. Melinda, in a recent statement, announced quitting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This was an emotional tie for Melinda to serve as she was the CEO of the organization for 25 long years. Dropping her newest vision, Melinda Gates confirmed a $1 billion funding to help restore the rights of women. 

She stated that women trying to cope with ill health can potentially amass $1 trillion of the global economy by 2040. According to her statement, the entire fund will be distributed among organizations and individuals who work relentlessly to safeguard the common interests of the feminine gender. Chief among them is the US Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix. 

Melinda Gates partners with Allyson Felix to champion women’s rights globally

Melinda Gates cannot stand how women are leading extremely difficult lives in some parts of the world. To exemplify, Melinda cited the war-ridden Afghanistan, where women are at the mercy of the Taliban. In her article, Melinda stated that the shocking reign of terror has made the possibility of women’s empowerment in Afghanistan peg back by 20 years. In other instances, there are reports of women carrying a baby struggling to find proper medical aid. 

All these examples have made Melinda Gates believe that her granddaughter might not have a secure future. To quote her, “As shocking as it is to contemplate, my 1-year-old granddaughter may grow up with fewer rights than I had.” And thus, Melinda chose Allyson Felix as one of her compatriots to effectively carry out her vision. As per the reports, Felix’s foundation will be receiving a grant of $20 million. 

Felix and her organization will have the full flexibility to decide the exact avenues where it would be invested. As a matter of fact, Melinda was spot on in choosing Allyson Felix. After bidding farewell to her ornamented track career, the 7x Olympic gold medalist worked towards the welfare of women. Advocating for the same, Felix once stated in an interview with Olympics.com, “Giving support to women when they decide to have children is huge. There are a lot of ways that we can continue to step up. I really want young women in the sport to know that they have a decision when they can start a family.” However, Felix is not the only chosen one. 

Melinda Gates’ plan involves more renowned social reformers

A total of 12 organizations will be a part of the $20 million plan. Barring Allyson Felix, other notable inclusions are Shabana Basij-Rasikh, and Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand. Well, that’s not all Melinda Gates has in her arsenal. In the coming fall, she has vowed to launch a mental wellness program for women amounting to $250 million. 

She stated that this initiative would directly involve small-scale and grassroots-level organizations. This was essential in eliminating any possible threats right in the origin. Melinda further mentioned that being privileged to work towards such a cause, she would try to leave no stone unturned to give the women of tomorrow a bright and secure future.