Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel Why Women’s Health Is a Workplace Issue with Melinda French Gates and Regina Dugan
Mar 23, 2026
Regina E. Dugan, leader of Wellcome Leap who builds fast biomedical breakthroughs, and Melinda French Gates, philanthropist focused on women’s opportunity and health. They reframe women’s health as a workplace equity and economic issue. Conversations cover underdiagnosed conditions, research gaps, menopause at work, AI-driven maternal-care advances, and how leaders and policy can drive investment and change.
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Use Flexibility To Retain Caregiving Employees
- Offer flexible schedules and trust employees to make up missed hours so caregivers can manage appointments without penalizing careers.
- Melinda French Gates suggests allowing leaving for a sick child and making up work later to retain productivity.
Women Often Suffer Through Serious Health Events At Work
- Women frequently perform through severe health issues like heavy menstrual bleeding, masking the true workplace impact.
- Melinda shares that one in three women experience heavy bleeding and some need emergency transfusions after workdays.
Plan For Menopause As A Workplace Issue
- Treat menopause as a predictable life stage and plan workplace resources, research, and clear information for women.
- Melinda recommends chill rooms, better research, and straightforward guidance instead of women 'shooting in the dark.'