00:00Melinda French Gates told me that fear is preventing other philanthropists from investing
00:03in women's health. That's why she's putting in $215 million herself.
00:08I went to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to see Melinda French Gates at a women's health clinic that
00:12she helped rebuild after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. We were there to talk about French
00:17Gates' new women's health strategy at Pivotal, the firm that she runs that combines philanthropy,
00:21investing, and policy advocacy. She was there to learn more about the clinic and how it's
00:26incorporating mental health services into women's health care. And she was there to figure out her
00:31new strategy and talk about how her money will support women's health around the country.
00:35Women's health has always been underfunded. There has never been enough funding for women's health.
00:40But now that problem is getting worse when you look at the impact of the Trump administration's
00:44policies on government grants or just fear that is causing others with lots of money and resources
00:50to pull back from this category. So by putting her money behind women's health, Melinda is hoping to
00:55send a signal to other philanthropists, other billionaires, that women's health is a viable
00:59category for them to donate to and invest in. My biggest takeaway from my conversations with Melinda
01:04was what she says about the conversations she has with other philanthropists, especially women.
01:09Right now, it's so easy to be cynical about billionaires who are gallivanting around the world,
01:13flashing their wealth everywhere. And she's telling us that she's having conversations with others who
01:18are eager to do good with their resources, who are just scared to speak out or not being as loud
01:23right
01:23now. So if we can believe her, those conversations are happening and billionaires might be doing some
01:28good in the world still. For more on my conversation with Melinda French Gates, you can read my feature
01:32at fortune.com.
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