Melinda French Gates
Among women who had experienced menopause or perimenopause, 58% said the transition had negatively affected their life or career in at least one way. The funding brings French Gates’ total philanthropic support for women’s health to more than $600 million over the past two years. Because perimenopause and menopause often occur when women are approaching the peak of their careers, french Gates said the economic consequences can be severe.
The latest commitment, announced through Pivotal, will support efforts ranging from reproductive health and contraceptive access to menopause-related research and care.
Many women report taking time off work and consulting multiple doctors before receiving appropriate care, she said. Health challenges can become “an off-ramp to their dreams,” she added. She also said stigma continues to be a major barrier, particularly around menopause, and urged governments, health systems and funders to increase investments in an area that has historically been underfunded.
Bill Gates ’ ex-wife and philanthropist Melinda Gates has pledged $215 million in new funding for women’s health and called for greater accountability in addressing long-standing gaps in healthcare for women, saying progress should be measured over the next four to five years to determine whether access to treatment is improving.
Speaking in a Bloomberg Television interview in London, French Gates said the world remains significantly behind in addressing women’s health needs and argued that governments must invest more in research, prevention and data collection.
More than four in 10 women in the UK said their health had prevented them from doing everything they wanted to do, while 34% said health issues had stopped them from reaching their full potential at work, according to the study.
“We are way behind on women’s health across the world,” French Gates said, adding that better evidence is needed to persuade policymakers to prioritise the issue and direct resources where they can have the greatest impact. “Measuring matters,” she said. “Let’s come back and measure this in four or five years” to assess whether women are better able to access treatments and healthcare support.
The comments came alongside new Gallup-Pivotal research highlighting the impact of health challenges on women’s personal and professional lives.