The iWoman Report: Dove's new menopause line, Bill Gates pledges billions, and a new female MLB umpire makes history
- iWomanTV
- Aug 7
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 8
Dove Enters the Hormonal Health Conversation With Its First-Ever Women’s Wellness Collection
In a bold and timely move, Dove is stepping into a long-overlooked space: personal care for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. On August 4, the brand launched its first Women’s Wellness Collection, a hormone-conscious line developed specifically for the 30% of U.S. women experiencing the physical and emotional shifts of midlife.
For decades, personal care aisles have catered to teens and twenty-somethings, while the unique skincare needs of mid-life women were either ignored or treated as taboo. Dove is flipping that script with a collection that is vulva-safe, OB/GYN- and dermatologist-approved, and focused on real symptoms like dryness, itching, odor, and skin sensitivity.
The new collection includes four thoughtfully formulated products:
Glycolic Serum Wash – A gentle exfoliating body wash designed to address odor and sweat-related changes.
Cleansing Oil – A hydrating formula with 50% glycerin to soothe itchy, sensitive skin.
Whole Body Wash – A hyaluronic acid-infused cleanser safe for vulva use and full-body hydration.
Ultra Gentle Balm – A fast-absorbing balm formulated with Dove’s vulva nourishment serum for comfort where it’s needed most.
Each product is rooted in science, but more importantly, in real life experiences. To accompany the launch, Dove unveiled a new campaign: “Made with TMI.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek nod to how society often treats women’s bodies as something to be discussed in hushed tones, if at all.
This campaign encourages women to speak openly about hormonal changes and normalize the often “embarrassing” symptoms that come with them. The message? Talking about your body isn’t TMI, it’s self-care.
According to recent data, 43% of women over 45 are actively looking for skincare that meets their changing needs. Until now, that search often came up short. Dove’s new line fills a crucial gap and sends a powerful signal that women in midlife deserve care, comfort, and representation too.
In a culture that too often sidelines women after 40, Dove is starting a new conversation where every body, at every stage, is worthy of attention and support.
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The Gates Foundation Pledges $2.5 Billion to Women’s Health
In a landmark move for women’s health worldwide, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced on Monday that it will invest $2.5 billion by 2030 into the research, development, and global access of care for women’s health conditions like preeclampsia and menopause.
The commitment represents one of the foundation’s largest financial pledges to date, and signals a long-overdue shift in global health priorities. Founder Bill Gates acknowledged the scope of the problem directly, saying:
“Women’s health continues to be ignored, underfunded and sidelined. Too many women still die from preventable causes or live in poor health. That must change.”
The $2.5 billion initiative will focus on five key areas that have long suffered from medical neglect and underfunding:
Obstetric care and maternal immunization
Maternal health and nutrition
Gynecological and menstrual health
Contraceptive innovation
Sexually transmitted infection prevention and treatment
These areas encompass critical, everyday health issues that affect hundreds of millions of women globally but have historically received only a fraction of medical R&D dollars. For example, despite the widespread impact of conditions like endometriosis, gestational diabetes, and heavy menstrual bleeding, research remains shockingly scarce. They didn't even test period products with real blood until last year.
To put the current crisis in perspective, a 2021 McKinsey report found that just 1% of global healthcare research funding goes toward female-specific conditions. This means that millions of women live with chronic, painful, or life-threatening health issues that simply aren’t prioritized by the existing medical system due to gender bias, stigma, and lack of economic incentive.
The Gates Foundation says this investment is meant to catalyze a larger movement, calling on governments, private industry, and fellow philanthropists to step up.
Bill Gates’ decision follows his announcement earlier this year that he plans to give away his entire $200 billion fortune by 2045. But this particular focus on women’s health marks a paradigm shift: no longer treating maternal and menstrual health as niche or secondary, but placing them at the center of global health equity.
For decades, women have shouldered the burden of being told their pain is normal, their symptoms are exaggerated, and their needs are too complex. This investment begins to chip away at that narrative but only if it’s met with action from every corner of society.
The truth is, $2.5 billion won’t fix a system designed to ignore women. But it can start a fire — one that leads to real data, real treatment options, and real change.
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Jen Pawol Breaks Barriers as First Woman to Umpire Regular-Season MLB Game
History will be made this weekend at Truist Park as Jen Pawol becomes the first woman to umpire a regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game, breaking a century-and-a-half-old gender barrier in America’s pastime.
Pawol will be part of the officiating crew for the Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves series, including Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s series finale, where she’ll take on the high-profile role of home plate umpire. The doubleheader setup required a fifth umpire, opening the door for Pawol’s historic debut.
Pawol’s path to MLB has been anything but overnight. A former Hofstra University softball standout and Amateur Softball Association player, she transitioned to officiating after a decade behind the plate as a catcher. From 2013 to 2015, she umpired college softball games in the Big Ten Conference before entering professional baseball’s officiating pipeline.
In 2016, Pawol graduated from the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy and began her pro umpiring career in the Gulf Coast League. She was only the seventh woman in history to umpire in Minor League Baseball.
By 2023, Pawol shattered a 34-year drought by becoming the first female umpire to reach Triple-A since 1989. She capped that season by working behind the plate for the Triple-A Championship. In 2024, she made headlines again by becoming the first woman to ump a Spring Training game since 2007. This year, she returned to Spring Training and served as a Triple-A crew chief adding more milestones to an already groundbreaking resume.
Despite her place in the record books, Pawol remains grounded in her passion for the game.
“I just love doing the job,” she said in a 2016 interview. “I’m passionate about it, and it’s just part of who I am.”
That passion continues to drive her forward. Pawol’s debut this weekend is a win for gender equality in sports, and it’s also a win for baseball. She is one of 17 current Triple-A umpires eligible to substitute in the majors, and with this historic step, the path for women in officiating has never been more visible.
From catching fastballs to calling them, Jen Pawol is proving that the plate has room for everyone.