By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-09 21:43:19 | Updated at 2026-06-11 22:31:40
2 days ago
Melinda French Gates has been fiercely applauded after she called for a 'menopause revolution' in a new op-ed - and for putting her money where her mouth is.
On June 4, the 61-year-old philanthropist, who was married to billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates until 2021, wrote a guest essay published in the New York Times in which she committed to donate a large sum to women's health causes.
In the piece, which was titled Women, We Deserve Better Than This, French Gates said that 'women's rights are under attack' and argued that women have long been an 'afterthought' when it comes to health.
She also revealed that she had committed an additional $215 million through her Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, bringing her funding for women’s health over the past two years to more than $600 million.
'Here's a scene that regularly plays out across the country: A woman walks into her doctor's office with an increasingly debilitating set of symptoms — her sleep destroyed, joints aching, heart racing, memory slipping — and walks out with no diagnosis, no treatment and no plan,' she penned in the piece.
'Our society's approach to menopause and perimenopause reflects the deep flaws of a health system that has long treated women as an afterthought.'
French Gates went on to point out how society needs to change its 'assumptions about whose bodies are worth understanding.'
'We need a menopause revolution in this country,' she continued.
Melinda French Gates has been praised for demanding a 'menopause revolution'
The philanthropist was married to tech billionaire Bill Gates for 27 years until their split in 2021
The piece sparked an overwhelmingly positive response from readers who praised her for acting.
'Brava! I'm so tired of being told in a dismissive way by doctors, "Yeah, that's menopause," whenever I try to engage with them on the symptoms mentioned in this article,' said a top comment underneath the article.
'No solutions. Not even any empathy. I hope the research Melinda sponsors turns up something useful.'
On Reddit, one said: 'She's amazing. Unlike her ex.'
'She will see some good from her donations in her lifetime,' commented another as a third added, 'Imagine what could happen if more billionaires treated solving problems like a competition instead of collecting wealth.
'$215 million can do a lot of good.'
French Gates shares three adult children - Phoebe, Rory and Jennifer - with her ex-husband.
In January, it was reported that her ex Bill made a $7.88 billion donation to Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation in 2024.
Over the past two years, French Gates has donated more than $600 million to women's health
The donation came after French Gates resigned from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in May 2024. They had previously run the foundation together.
Following her resignation, French Gates suggested her ex donate $12.5 billion to her new foundation which works to advance social progress for women.
A representative for women's advocacy group Pivotal confirmed to the Times that the $12.5 billion agreement has been fulfilled, and the nearly $8 billion donation was part of that agreement.
The donation was listed on his 2025 tax filing, but it is unclear how the rest of the $12.5 billion agreement was split and where the donations were made.
