Sheryl Sandberg Just Donated $1 Million To Planned Parenthood Weeks After Meeting Trump

In recent weeks, Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg has remained relatively quiet regarding the international women's marches and the Trump administration.

That is, until now.

According to Refinery 29, the Lean In author and women's rights advocate, who has been a long-term supporter of Planned Parenthood, has donated $1 million to the non-profit organization.

Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told the publication via email that she's grateful to Sandberg for 'her longstanding, and now increased, support' for the organization's services.

In response to Trump's threat to 'defund' the 100-year-old organisation, Richards took the opportunity to thank everyone who has been supporting the service in recent months.

'It's especially important right now, as extreme politicians want to defund and shut down Planned Parenthood, which would deny millions of people — nearly half of whom are people of color, and many people who live in rural areas — the health care they rely on. Shutting down Planned Parenthood would create a national health disaster for women,' she said.

Sandberg's generous donation follows weeks of criticism regarding her support for the 45th president of the US, given that she has previously announced support for Hillary Clinton during the presidential election.

In a Silicon Valley publication called Pando, a column directly criticized Sandberg's reluctance to speak out against Trump or support the Women's March.

The website's founder, Sarah Lacy, wrote: 'Since November, I've heard one phrase uttered over and over by senior women in the Valley: 'Why isn't Sheryl saying anything about this?'

'It is impossible to imagine that Sandberg has absolutely nothing to say about the women's march, that she simply didn't notice it happened. It strains credulity almost as much as the idea that Facebook's trending news algorithm didn't notice it. It's particularly remarkable given how much of the march was organized on Facebook,' she added.

The column comes weeks after the entrepreneur was photographed attending a meeting with her fellow Silicon Valley executives and Donald Trump in December, to discuss the economy and improved job opportunities.

However, despite her relative silence, the businesswoman has finally spoken out against Trump following his executive order that now bans US aid to international health groups that promote or support abortion.

In a post to Facebook she wrote: 'I started my career working at the World Bank on health care in India. I saw firsthand how clinics funded by foreign aid are often the only source of health care for women.

'When women are given even the most basic health care information and services, they live longer, healthier lives — and they give birth to children who live longer, healthier lives... The best way to prevent abortion is through more family planning services, not fewer...

'Women's rights are human rights — and there is no more basic right than health care. Women around the world deserve our support,' she added.

The post follows fellow Facebook executive Mark Zuckerberg's post to Twitter, condemning Trump's executive order banning immigrants from seven Muslim countries entering the US.

As a great grandchild of immigrants and husband to the daughter of Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, Dr. Priscilla Chan, the 32-year-old businessman wrote: 'We should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help. That's who we are. Had we turned away refugees a few decades ago, Priscilla's family wouldn't be here today.'

We're glad to see two of the world's most influential and powerful entrepreneurs and human rights advocates are helping to stand up against the Trump administration and support women's and reproductive rights.

Katie O'Malley

Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.