26 September 2015: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Unilever and other global companies and foundations pledged to commit millions of dollars to promote gender equality, during an event held on the sidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) high-level debate, and co-hosted by UN Women, the Alibaba Group and Gates. Addressing the Business and Philanthropy Leader’s Forum, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said gender equality cannot exist without investment and willingness to change the status quo.

Melinda Gates, Gates Foundation, underscored that women drive progress by demanding better healthcare and opportunities for their children and greater equity for all. According to UN Women’s press release, the Gates Foundation’s US$5 million contribution will support advocacy on the central role of women’s empowerment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while Alibaba’s commitment of US$1 million will support UN Women’s work to advance women’s empowerment globally. Unilever, which aims to empower five million women across the world by 2020, is promoting economic opportunities for women, reducing unpaid care work and ensuring the safety of women and girls.

Other organizations that participated in the event included Coca-Cola, Cisco, Infosys, Itaipu, MasterCard, H&M, Citibank, State Bank of India and the General Electric Foundation. The event took place on 26 September 2015, in New York, US, on the eve of the Global Leader’s Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: A Commitment to Action, during which heads of State and government discussed actions to achieve gender equality by 2030. [UN Press Release] [UN Women Press Release]