Bill Gates’ ex-wife Melinda French Gates and their daughters Jennifer Gates Nassar and Phoebe Gates have joined a group of philanthropists as founding supporters of the Women’s Health Co-Lab. It is a collaborative fund which aims at mobilising $100 million to improve the health and wellbeing of women and girls globally. According to a report by Luxury Launches, the initiative was launched by ICONIQ Impact in partnership with Co-Impact at the 2025 Forbes Impact Summit. The initiative is focused on addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing women globally, including maternal health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender-based violence. The programme has already secured more than $70 million in commitments from founding donors, including the Gates family members and 14 other philanthropists.
Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe Gates highlights ongoing challenges for women
Speaking about the initiative, Phoebe Gates, co-founder and co-CEO of Phia, stressed that significant barriers to women’s health and safety remain despite years of advocacy.“It is unacceptable that in 2025, women are still fighting the same battles for health and safety,” she said. “Yet these 22 organizations give us reason to believe change is possible. They are pushing forward, protecting reproductive freedom, confronting violence, and demanding better care for mothers.”According to the organisers, the fund will support 22 organisations selected from a pool of more than 400 applicants. These groups will receive unrestricted funding over the next three years to strengthen healthcare access, legal protections, information networks and support systems for women and girls.
22 grantees chosen from over 400
The Co-Lab supports 22 organizations working on the root causes of health inequity for women and girls, picked from a pool of more than 400. Each will receive unrestricted funding over three years. The aim is to strengthen the systems that determine whether women get care, information, legal protection or personal autonomy. The funding targets issues including preventable deaths during pregnancy, gender-based violence and barriers to family planning services.
Melinda French Gates doubles down on women’s health
The latest commitment builds on Melinda French Gates’ growing focus on women’s health philanthropy through her investment and incubation company, Pivotal Ventures. According to reports, she announced a separate $215 million commitment to women’s health in 2026, bringing her total funding for the cause over two years to more than $600 million.The Women’s Health Co-Lab has been established around the belief that women and girls, regardless of where they live, should have access to healthcare, safety and bodily autonomy. Organisers say millions of women around the world continue to face preventable maternal deaths, barriers to family planning services and violence that threaten their wellbeing.
Daughters follow mother’s philanthropic path
The initiative also highlights how the next generation of the Gates family is becoming increasingly involved in philanthropy. Jennifer Gates Nassar, a paediatric resident, has worked alongside her mother on women’s healthcare issues, while Phoebe Gates has publicly advocated for reproductive rights and broader women’s health issues.The funding is expected to support projects ranging from maternal healthcare and contraception access to programmes aimed at preventing gender-based violence. Among the organisations selected for support are Every Mother Counts, Americans for Contraception, Girl Effect, Serenas and Ujamaa Africa.
Fund still seeking additional support
While the initiative has already mobilised more than $70 million, organisers are continuing efforts to reach the $100 million target. The founders say additional philanthropic support will help expand programmes designed to improve health outcomes and increase opportunities for women and girls across multiple countries.
