Melinda French Gates has announced a $250 million fund to improve women’s mental and physical health.
Action for Women’s Health will fund nonprofit organizations globally working to improve women’s mental and physical health. They should be prepared to center equity in their approach and scale their work, according to the organization.
Awards will range from $1 million to $5 million, to be announced by the end of 2025. The call for applications and competition will be run by Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the MacArthur Foundation.
The fund was launched by Pivotal Ventures, French Gates’ organization founded in 2015 with the goal of advancing social progress for women globally and is part of the philanthropist’s $1 billion plan to promote women’s rights announced in May.
“The reason I’m focusing on this piece on women’s health is that for women to thrive in society, they have to be healthy,” French Gates told Bloomberg about the fund. French Gates has endorsed Kamala Harris for president, commending her for her stance on reproductive rights. “When you think about who understands the U.S. right now — who understands women’s needs right now — there are stark contrasts,” she said. “I thought it was worth speaking out about my feelings on that.”
In response to the announcement, a number of women’s health advocates and companies weighed in about why the action is important and encouraging.
"We are in a time where policy priorities determine health care outcomes for those most marginalized. The data show that improvements are needed today to address the abysmal outcomes we see," Laurie Zephyrin, senior vice president of Advancing Health Equity at the Commonwealth Fund, told Fierce Healthcare in a statement. "We know what to do—drive resources to community-led and community-engaged efforts such as birthing centers, midwifery-led teams, and innovative quality-centered equitable models. I am hopeful that these funding efforts will catalyze the change we want to see."
Closing gaps in women's health can serve all individuals more broadly, Neel Shah, chief medical officer at Maven Clinic, noted. Investments in improving women's health could potentially boost the economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040, according to McKinsey.
"When women are underserved, everyone is underserved,” Shah told Fierce Healthcare in a statement. “Melinda Gates has long known that when we invest in innovation in women’s health care, we are investing in the nucleus of societal progress. My hope and expectation is that this funding will catalyze sorely needed progress around the globe."
The fund “represents a major step in closing the gaps that have historically plagued women’s health,” echoed Guillaume Skalli, co-founder and CEO of Paloma Health and founding member of the Wonder Woman Collective. “True change requires more than collaboration —it requires investment. Initiatives like this allow us to put dollars where our mouth is and support real, scalable solutions for women around the world. With this funding, we can ensure that the conversation doesn’t just shift temporarily but leads to sustainable improvements in health outcomes and care for all women.”
French Gates signaled her concern for women after the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. “While I have long focused on improving contraceptive access overseas, in the post-Dobbs era, I now feel compelled to support reproductive rights here at home,” French Gates said in a past New York Times op-ed. “For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women’s rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense. I want to help even the match.”
In an email to Fierce Healthcare, March of Dimes acknowledged the announcement comes at a time when the U.S. remains the most dangerous developed country to have a baby. “While the well-being of moms and their babies is deeply intertwined, maternal health is not the priority it needs to be today,” Cindy Rahman, interim president and CEO, wrote. “Melinda's investment in women worldwide will make a profound impact and March of Dimes is excited to pursue this opportunity to ensure every mom and family can access quality care, regardless of geography, race, or income.”
Women were not required to be included in clinical trials in the U.S. until 1993, pointed out Priyanka Jain, CEO and co-founder of Evvy. And only 1% of global healthcare R&D dollars get invested in female-specific conditions.
“Better care requires investing in data, research, and access, and we’re so grateful to people like Melinda who are catalyzing the future of women’s healthcare that we all deserve,” Jain said in an email.