Melinda French Gates commits $215M more to women's health
Pivotal founder Melinda French Gates is directing new funding toward reproductive care, menopause and maternal mental health, bringing her total women's-health giving to $600 million.
Melinda French Gates has committed $215 million in new funding through Pivotal to women's health, bringing her total commitment to the area to $600 million over two years. The money is earmarked for access to reproductive care, midlife and menopause health, maternal mental health, and related research.
Partners named alongside the announcement include Wellcome Leap for research, the Menopause Society for clinician training, and Co-Impact for integrating mental health support into maternal care. A separate $5 million grant went to a women's health clinic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
I'm trying to send a signal.
French Gates has been explicit that the goal is as much about influence as impact – pushing other wealthy donors and philanthropies to treat women's health, especially the parts of it long under-researched like menopause, as a serious funding priority rather than an afterthought.