Melinda French Gates recently launched Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million open call aimed at supporting organizations around the world working to address women’s physical and mental health. This initiative is part of a larger $1 billion, two-year effort focused on supporting women and family issues that French Gates announced after resigning from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As part of her divorce agreement with Bill Gates, she received $12.5 billion for her own initiatives, allowing her to pursue causes she is passionate about without the constraints of the foundation’s nonpartisan approach.
French Gates is passionate about helping women meet their basic needs, including access to reproductive healthcare, supporting their families, and empowering them to succeed in work and politics. She believes that by ensuring women have good health, they can exercise their full power and contribute positively to society. Action for Women’s Health is just one aspect of her broader efforts to support women’s rights and well-being. French Gates has also spoken out against the dismantling of abortion rights in the U.S. and publicly endorsed presidential candidate Kamala Harris for the first time.
Pivotal Ventures, French Gates’ independent company, is overseeing the billion-dollar initiative, which also includes awarding $200 million to U.S. groups focused on women’s rights and distributing $20 million grants to individuals globally whose work French Gates admires. Organizations interested in applying for funding through Action for Women’s Health must register by December 3 and go through multiple rounds of review by peers and external evaluators. Winners will receive grants ranging from $1 million to $5 million, with the awardees set to be announced by the end of the following year.
French Gates’ commitment to supporting women’s health and rights reflects her belief in the importance of empowering women to reach their full potential. By providing resources and funding to organizations working on these issues, she hopes to create a more equitable and just world where women can thrive. Her decision to launch Action for Women’s Health and other initiatives marks a shift in her approach towards advocacy and philanthropy, allowing her to focus more directly on causes that are close to her heart.
The $250 million open call for Action for Women’s Health aims to reach organizations that have been historically overlooked and prioritize the needs of women across different regions and backgrounds. By supporting a diverse range of initiatives, French Gates hopes to address the systemic barriers that women face in accessing quality healthcare and achieving gender equality. Through strategic investments and partnerships, she aims to amplify the impact of these organizations and contribute to lasting change in communities around the world.
Overall, Melinda French Gates’ launch of Action for Women’s Health underscores her continued commitment to improving the lives of women and promoting gender equality. By leveraging her resources and platform, she is advocating for meaningful change in areas such as reproductive healthcare, economic empowerment, and political representation for women. Through this initiative and her broader efforts to advance women’s rights, French Gates is working towards a more inclusive and equitable future where all women can thrive and contribute to society.
