Melinda French Gates announces $215 million commitment to women's health, with menopause and midlife health as a key pillar

French Gates announced a new $215 million commitment to women's health, with menopause and midlife health as one of three key pillars. She also gave $100 million to Wellcome Leap, which has used that funding to research women's cardiovascular disease.

At her firm Pivotal, French Gates blends philanthropy, investing, and policy advocacy. On the policy side, Pivotal will support education requirements for providers; expanded insurance and Medicaid coverage; and workplace protections. Her initial partners include the Menopause Society, which trains frontline health care workers.

French Gates framed midlife health as a workforce issue: women live in poor health for nine years longer than men over their lifetimes, with half of those years occurring during peak productivity. She stated that women are stepping out of the workforce because of menopause, which prevents them from reaching positions of power.