Melinda French Gates

Mifepristone is a safe, essential medicine that so many women depend on in some of the hardest moments of their lives. When access to this care is taken away, the need doesn’t vanish. It just becomes harder to meet—and far more dangerous. Last year, while visiting Louisiana to understand how the shifting landscape is affecting our communities, I heard heartbreaking stories from mothers denied treatment during grave crises in their pregnancies and doctors forced to delay care when every minute counts. Friday’s ruling is a blow to families across the country, who suffer when women are stripped of the ability to make decisions about their own health and futures. Everyone deserves health care that’s guided by science, not politics. apnews.com/article/aborti…

This is a staggering waste of taxpayer money and yet another disturbing example of the lengths some will go to keep women from having power over their own lives and futures. Contraceptives are lifechanging, lifesaving tools and one of the best ways to lift people out of poverty the world has ever seen. There are so many women who wanted and needed these supplies. There were organizations willing to buy and distribute them. What happened instead is unjustifiable. nytimes.com/2026/03/26/wor…

Dr. Foege wasn’t just a brilliant scientist, best known for helping eradicate smallpox. He was also an invaluable mentor, cherished friend, and steadfast example of the kind of leadership I’ve always admired: empathetic, generous, and humble. With his passing, I’m reminded of his advice to strive for “science with a moral compass,” or science that serves humanity. Dr. Foege lived out that value in every corner of his life. May his legacy inspire others to do the same. nytimes.com/2026/01/24/us/…

The deaths of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti are unconscionable and weighing heavily on so many of our hearts. Over recent weeks, in Minneapolis and other communities across the country, we have seen neighbors standing up for each other with courage, compassion, and solidarity. No one in the United States should ever have to fear losing their life for taking peaceful, principled action in support of their beliefs. Our country is not our government—our country is us, we the people. For 250 years, we have been bound together by bedrock values, the rule of law, and inalienable rights. There is nothing more American than exercising our rights and holding our government accountable. Our democracy depends on it.

More than 80 orgs providing women’s health care globally received $250M in grants from Melinda French Gates through her Action for Women’s Health challenge. Most had never received Gates funding before. phlnthrp.com/4p4ivlH @melindagates

As a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist who spent more than 65 years studying wild chimpanzees, Dr. Jane Goodall fundamentally changed the way we understand the world—and our place in it. She was also an extraordinarily powerful advocate, inspiring young people all over the world to stay curious, compassionate, and committed to building a brighter future for people, animals, and the environment. What a force she was.

📣 Just announced: We’re committing $100 million to accelerate breakthroughs in women’s health alongside @WellcomeLeap. Hear from Wellcome Leap CEO Regina E. Dugan and @melindagates on what we hope to accomplish with this investment. pvtl.ventures/3IfvxNv

I can’t wait to return to South Africa this fall! I’ll be at @WitsUniversity in Johannesburg on November 8, where I’ll be talking with @Anele Mdoda about my work to support women and girls, as well as my new book, The Next Day. I hope to see you there! Learn more at melindafrenchgates.com.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Philanthropist & Pivotal Ventures founder @melindagates will speak at the Power Women's Summit on Sept 10. She joins a powerful lineup including Sara Blakely, Anita Hill, Kara Swisher & more. Seats are extremely limited. Apply to attend: on.forbes.com/6012f5LU4

I can’t wait for you to watch these conversations. Check out the full series on YouTube: youtube.com/playlist?list=…

I am so excited to share that my YouTube series, Moments That Make Us, is back! I sat down with Serena Williams, Robin Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, & Amanda Nguyen to talk about some of the most formative experiences in their lives and how they’ve shaped who they are.

It is hard to imagine anything more important than saving a child from dying a preventable death.   That’s why I’m grateful for the many global leaders who came together this week to pledge a combined $9 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.   Gavi has helped vaccinate more than 1 billion children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases—saving millions of lives and making our whole world healthier and safer.   At a critical moment when some are turning their back on the world’s poorest children—including the U.S. government, which has threatened to withdraw funding that Gavi depends on—it is more important than ever that we stand behind Gavi and its lifesaving, essential work.   Thank you to President von der Leyen and the European Commission for leading this effort and making vaccine access the global priority it deserves to be.

I am deeply disturbed and saddened by the political violence in Minnesota Saturday. My heart goes out to the families of State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and I’m praying for the full recovery of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Attacks on public servants are not just personal tragedies—they’re also an assault on democracy itself. We must stand together to condemn violence and commit ourselves to a world where people can serve their communities without fear.

Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV. May he use his leadership and example to encourage all of us – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – to stand in solidarity with each other, especially those who live at the margins.

As the @gatesfoundation marks its 25th anniversary, I am so proud of the impact the foundation and its partners have had around the world. I’ve seen so many powerful examples of what that impact looks like: A child receiving a lifesaving vaccine. A woman being able to decide if and when to become pregnant. Farmers breaking their families out of poverty thanks to more productive harvests. These stories behind the statistics will have effects that ripple across generations, and I know the next twenty years will unlock many more. fortune.com/2025/05/08/bil…

By naming himself for the patron saint of the poor, Pope Francis placed poverty at the center of the Gospel. With grace & love, with faith in action, His Holiness used a healing hand to lift up the most vulnerable among us. Spending time with him was one of the honors of my life.

When women can decide if and when to have children, they are healthier, their families are more prosperous, and their children get a better start in life. Everyone benefits, and the positive effects ripple for generations. The U.S. decision to end support for family planning programs around the world will cost lives and claim futures that should have been bright. nytimes.com/2025/04/01/hea…

For more than 50 years, leaders of both parties have championed Title X, a program that funds basic healthcare for women, especially low-income women. By removing access to essential services from family planning to cancer screenings, this funding freeze puts the lives and futures of the most vulnerable at risk. 19thnews.org/2025/04/reprod…

Melinda French Gates – Live in Conversation in London In a rare window into some of her life’s pivotal moments, @melindagates returns to How To Academy with previously untold stories offering a new perspective on how we process change. 25 June | 7:00pm howtoacademy.com/events/melinda…

Thanks to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, more than 1 billion children have been immunized against the world’s deadliest diseases, like tuberculosis and malaria. Now the U.S. government is reportedly planning to end its support for Gavi—support that’s been critical to this progress for nearly 25 years. It breaks my heart to think that more than a million children in low-income countries could die over the next five years because of this decision. It’s no exaggeration to say that the world’s success in immunizing children is one of the greatest achievements in history. It’s also one of the hardest-won. Mothers around the world line up for hours in the heat to get vaccines for their children, women travel through mountains on foot to administer them, and thousands of scientists dedicate their lives to developing them—all because there’s nothing more important than saving the life of a child. Leaders must reconsider the plan to end support for Gavi. Unraveling one of the most effective systems in global health would be an absolutely devastating choice.