French Gates said women’s health is too often an “afterthought,” citing issues like pregnancy-related complications, malnutrition, mental health, and access to medical care. American billionaire and philanthropic giant Melinda French Gates is launching a $250 million (€228 million) fund to improve women’s health globally. French Gates, who has committed to giving away most of her fortune during her lifetime, cited issues like lack of access to care, pregnancy-related complications, malnutrition, and depression and anxiety as critical health issues facing women today – and as key motivations for the new programme.
“Women’s health continues to be an afterthought,” French Gates said in a statement, “and it’s impacting the health of our families, our communities, our economies”. Through the new initiative, called Action for Women’s Health, French Gates in groups that focus on women’s mental or physical health anywhere in the world, notably those that address daily health needs and disabilities, longevity, access to care, and family-centric issues like reproductive health and wellbeing. Selected organisations will be granted between (€912,000 and €4.
6 million) from the philanthropic arm of Pivotal Ventures, which French Gates founded in 2015 to support social causes. , French Gates said Pivotal would allocate $1 billion (€912 million) over the next two years to advance women’s rights around the world. With the new fund, French Gates said she aim.
