The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) have announced the launch of a partnership aimed at supporting gender equality and human development across Africa and South Asia.

The Gender and Human Development partnership will support projects that focus on a mother and child’s health, sexual and reproductive health, social protection, water and sanitation, nutrition, and climate resilience. It will draw on up to $240 million in funding, including a $20 million grant from the Gates Foundation that will be matched by a $20 million grant from AFD, in addition to up to $200 million in concessional lending. Through the partnership, the foundation will support AFD’s investments aligned with the national priorities of countries where they are implemented, helping build capacity among partners while generating measurable, sustainable impact.

According to the foundation, approximately 73 low- and middle-income countries around the world have high exposure and acute vulnerability to droughts, floods, increased variability, and reduced growing seasons. Women, who are more vulnerable to the impacts of those combined crises, represent a large percentage of poor communities that are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihood. Moreover, women are 14 times more likely to die in a disaster than men, making it essential to increase impactful partnerships that improve development outcomes across the region. 

“Our long-standing partnership with AFD and the French government on health and development is rooted in ensuring that more people, especially women and girls, can realize their full potential,” said Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda French Gates. “The launch of this Gender and Human Development partnership is an exciting step forward that will help ensure those that need it most have more power over their health, money, and futures.” 

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