Melinda French Gates says she will be donating $1 billion over the next two years to individuals and organizations working on behalf of women and families globally, including on reproductive rights in the United States. French Gates is one of the biggest philanthropic supporters of gender equity in the U.S. In a guest essay for The New York Times on Tuesday, she wrote that she’s been frustrated over the years by people who say it’s not the right time to talk about gender equality. She said over the past weeks, she’s started directing new grants through her organization Pivotal Ventures.