Melinda French Gates on abortion pill decision: Fight “far from over”

Melinda French Gates welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday that maintains access to the abortion drug mifepristone, but noted that it marks just a small victory in the broader fight for reproductive rights.

French Gates, philanthropist and ex-wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, is a leading advocate for reproductive rights and committed $1 billion to women’s causes last month.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision is welcome news, but the fight for reproductive rights is far from over,” she said. he wrote on social media platform X. “Someone else will take legal action. Another state will pass legislation restricting women’s options.”

“The only way to stop these attacks on women’s autonomy is to ensure that women have the political power to set their own agenda, rather than having their fundamental rights dependent on someone else’s,” she continued. “We all have a role to play in this fight. Say it louder. And vote in November. Your health and your future must be in your hands.”

Last month, French Gates said her philanthropic organization, Pivotal Ventures, would invest specifically in women’s issues, including sexual violence in conflict zones abroad, the role of women in government and maternal health. She specifically highlighted the need to work against maternal mortality in the US and towards reproductive freedom.

“Women in 14 states have lost the right to terminate pregnancies in almost all circumstances,” she wrote in The New York Times last month. “We remain the only advanced economy without any form of national paid family leave. And the number of teens experiencing suicidal thoughts and persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness is at a decade high.”

“When we allow this cause to become so chronically underfunded, we all pay the cost,” she continued. “As shocking as it is to think, my 1-year-old granddaughter may grow up with fewer rights than I do.”

The court’s mifepristone ruling was hailed as a victory for reproductive rights advocates, with the issue likely to take center stage in the 2024 elections. Abortion rights ballot measures are set for the vote in several states, including several key swing states such as Arizona and Florida.

Democrats hoped that an emphasis on this issue would attract independent and moderate voters to their side at the polls, especially female voters. A record 32 percent of voters said they would only vote for a candidate who agreed with their stance on abortion rights in a new poll released Thursday.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story