(Bloomberg) -- Melinda French Gates is ready to deploy millions of dollars for women’s health as she amps up the money — and her voice — in support of reproductive rights.
French Gates, a billionaire philanthropist, will give away $250 million to organizations, part of a $1 billion commitment to advance women’s rights globally she announced in May. French Gates has also endorsed Kamala Harris — the first time she’s publicly supported a presidential candidate — in part because of the vice president’s stance on reproductive freedom.
The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that guaranteed abortion rights has led to women missing out on breast cancer screenings and other services because doctors are afraid to work in states with abortion bans and clinics are getting shut down, she said in an interview.
“We’re seeing the devastating impacts” of Roe v. Wade being overturned, French Gates said. “I would like to see the US never, never roll back a law — or any country — related to women’s health.”
Why Abortion Is a Hot Election Issue in the US: QuickTake
While Harris has been campaigning on a platform of supporting a federal right to abortion and has repeatedly spoken out in favor of reproductive rights, the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has taken credit for appointing the three justices to the US Supreme Court who helped do away with Roe.
“When you think about who understands the US 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.”
Pivotal, an organization that French Gates founded in 2015 to advance social progress for women globally, and nonprofit adviser Lever for Change will host an open call for applications for the women’s health gifts through Jan. 10. Awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million will be announced by the end of 2025. Organizations selected will be expected to address topics ranging from mental health to physical challenges and target varied age ranges, French Gates said.
“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,” she said.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
