Melinda French Gates Pledges $215 Million for Women’s Health
Melinda French Gates pledged another $215 million for women’s health on Thursday, expanding support for contraceptive access, maternal care and research on menopause. The new pledge pushes her donations for women’s health past $600 million in the past two years.
French Gates said women’s health is the cornerstone of the work she does through Pivotal. She also said, "It’s just blaringly obvious that women’s health is fundamental — she has to be well to do well in life."
Pivotal’s $215 Million Plan
The new funding will support contraceptive access and maternal care, along with initiatives aimed at middle-aged women and further study of menopause. French Gates stepped away from The Gates Foundation in 2024, and Pivotal now handles her philanthropy and investments.
She said, "The role of philanthropy, in my opinion, is to look at some of these societal problems that have been left behind, and shine light on them, show ways of making progress so you can then crowd in other donors and ultimately crowd in government funding."
Menopause Care And Maternal Health
French Gates previously gave $40 million to Co-Impact for an initiative that embeds mental health support into maternal and primary care, especially in Africa. She also gave $10 million to The Menopause Society to improve menopause care in the United States.
Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health, said the United States has about 6,000 counties where patients have critically low access to menopause-competent clinicians.
Women’s Health Funding Gap
The World Economic Forum says women make up half the population but the health issues that specifically affect them receive 2% of private healthcare funds. French Gates said, "Part of what I’m doing here, I hope, is sending a signal to say, ‘This is really important. Let’s do something about it.’ And my hope is that I’ll be able to get others who will join me."
Faubion said, "Menopause remains one of the most overlooked and underserved areas in medicine, and The Menopause Society believes women deserve better." She added, "We’re ready to make those changes with the support of donors like Pivotal."
The pledge adds to a funding stream that now exceeds $600 million for women’s health in two years, with the money aimed at areas that have drawn limited private funding. For readers and institutions in these care areas, the next step is whether French Gates’s signal brings in other donors and broader support for the same targets she named.
