Her Voice

I want to take a moment to share with you the remarkable story of my grandmother, Mary Blanche Williams, a true warrior for women’s rights whose legacy continues to inspire me and countless others. Mary Blanche was not just a woman of her time; she was a force to be reckoned with, standing up for the rights of black women during an era of profound injustice and discrimination. In a society where black women were marginalized and dehumanized, she fearlessly advocated for their dignity and equality. Despite facing unimaginable obstacles, she remained resolute, refusing to accept anything less than full recognition of their humanity. What truly sets Mary Blanche apart is her unwavering commitment to action. Leveraging her background in nursing, she collaborated with Jewish doctors in Philadelphia to create safe spaces for women to exercise autonomy over their bodies. Through her tireless efforts, she ensured that women of all races had access to safe and compassionate healthcare, regardless of prevailing political agendas. Mary Blanche’s activism extended beyond the confines of her community. She marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the historic March on Washington in 1963, lending her voice to the chorus demanding justice and equality for all. Her advocacy for a woman’s right to choose was unwavering, and she celebrated landmark victories such as Roe v. Wade as triumphs for women’s autonomy and freedom. Although Mary Blanche may no longer walk among us, her legacy of courage and determination lives on. She left behind a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of activism. In my family, her memory serves as a guiding light, inspiring future generations of women to raise their voices and stand up for what they believe in. As the women in my family reflect on Mary Blanche’s extraordinary life and legacy, we recommitted ourselves to the ongoing fight for gender equality and reproductive rights. May her exam

Sesilia Shirima is the CEO of Young & Alive Initiative, a civil society organization based in Tanzania and a PAI partner. I was fortunate to meet Sesilia and the team and was overwhelmed with gratitude to get to meet with local advocates and learn about the important services they provide to support the rights of young people in their community. I returned to DC more energized and more committed than ever to support our shared missions to achieve sexual reproductive health and rights for all.

In memory of my sister, Tadelech Kidanemariam, who succumbed to cancer in May 2023 Tadelech, my elder sister was a trailblazer for so many women in my country. She joined the Ethiopian student movement that was struggling to change the political and social system of the then government when many women were not empowered to speak up and act. I learned from her in my early days about the ABCs of women’s rights and human rights. She taught me that I should stand up for my rights and voice my opinion despite the deafening voices that will always try to silence me. She showed me how to be brave and consistent when you don’t even see the results of your actions immediately. She paved the way for me to understand the power of working with others and joining movements OR creating one if there is none you can hold on to. SHE IS/WAS MY SHERO

Dini Haryati serves as the executive director of Yayasan Cipta, an Indonesian civil society organization that advocates for sexual and reproductive health and nutrition. Dini’s leadership has shaped Indonesia’s family planning goals and service provision as well as the ability of civil society to hold the government accountable for its commitments. The impact of Dini’s work extends beyond Indonesia where it serves as a model for civil society organizations around the world and influenced the development of advocacy frameworks like the Motion Tracker Approach.

She is super. Generous with her time and very helpful.

Dr. Jackie is a philanthropist, health expert, women’s advocate, tv personality and award-winning OB-GYN. She uses her medical expertise and media platform to raise awareness of sexual reproductive health rights for all persons.

Drew is a popular Tiktok influencer that is widely known for debating with far-right, misogynistic male influencers that perpetuate harmful stigmas on the internet. As someone who can be soft-spoken, I admire the fearlessness she has when confronting these ideals. To me, she embodies a “no-bullshit” and “see something, say something” attitude that I’d like to embody more in my personal life!

Mrs. Gamble protect & served in the Washington, DC area for over 20yrs as a Lieutenant for the Metopolitan Police Department. While she was working, she was a positive force for the 20yrs she was there. Also, she is a very empowering, supportive, & loving woman. Without her I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Thank you for all that you do.

I am nominating actress and writer, Busy Philipps, for actively speaking out against abortion bans. She has bravely shared the story of her own abortion on her talk show, in her memoir, and she has testified in front of Congress. She is one of many public figures helping to destigmatize abortions and reproductive health and rights.

Years ago Ellie started a nonprofit, the MoonCatcher Project, that works to ensure women and girls around the world have access to products that help them manage their menstrual cycles, so that they are fully able to engage in their lives and communities. The project has changed dramatically over the years, but it is still working to ensure girls everywhere are able to stay in school, get jobs, and continue engaging fully in their communities.

The woman who first hired me at PAI more than four decades ago.

Cydney has been a great mentor & leader. Whenever I needed coaching or mentoring, she was ALWAYS there! Thank you so much for all your support.

After seeing her speak and use #HERVoice to advocate for reproductive rights, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky inspires me to continue fighting for bodily autonomy and the right to decide if, when and how I want to have a child. We need more people like her in positions of power.

From the time I can remember, my Mother has always advocated for women and girls. She ingrained in my siblings and me the idea that we should have autonomy over our own bodies. I remember having discussions, as a young girl, with my Mother about our freedom to choose. My Mother also ingrained in us the responsibility of speaking out for and voting for our rights. Her voice still rings in my head when it’s time to vote! When it came time to look for work, and I had the opportunity to work for PAI, I took that job eagerly, knowing that my Mother would be proud (and she is!) of where I work. My Mother still advocates for bodily autonomy and has a clear grasp of how politics here in the US and abroad work to make our goals a reality. She continues to make the call through her conversations and her vote. I am proud to be her daughter!

Ms Shahla Salah Khan a resident of Province of Sindh, Pakistan has worked for the promotion of agricultural innovations specifically for the youth as well as female farmers. She has specialization in safety of these young farmers while working in the cotton belt of Sindh. Being a woman, she overcame many challenges while working in the filed areas which she accepted. She has attended many national as well as International conference related to her field. She is the founding Member and Leading YPARD Chapter of Pakistan since it was incepted in 2013 in Islamabad during an International Event under APAARI with co hosting PARC.

I nominated Olivia Rodrigo for using #HERVoice because she continues to use her large platform to advocate for reproductive health and rights. She has partnered with the National Network of Abortion Funds for her current world tour, and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be going to them and her new women’s rights fund, Fund 4 Good. At each concert, she has a National Network of Abortion Funds table set up where people can learn about what they do, and most recently, she handed out emergency contraceptives at her concert in Missouri where abortion is banned.

Lisa is on an important journey to inspire, elevate and activate girls to be all that they can and want to be and embrace their full beauty, voice and power! We must be in service to our next generation and Lisa, through her Boss Beauties platform and new book, is doing exactly that. LOVE IT! – Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President & CEO of PAI

Saro Imran has been an advocate in the sexual and reproductive health and rights space since 2013 as a result of the physical and mental abuse she endured due to her gender identity. As a transgender activist and entrepreneur in Pakistan, she has worked alongside many organizations advancing SRHR and transgender rights in marginalized communities. In 2020, she started an initiative called the PINK Center – the first of its kind in Pakistan. She uses #HERVoice to advocate for equal rights and empowerment of transgender people.

En sa qualité d’avocate dans la province de l’équateur, elle est une servante défenderesse des droits reproductifs des femmes dans la ville de Mbandaka en RDC.

This is one of young women who wanted to change the situation of their fellow members at the Local level through Communication and Campaigns.. It’s not an easy task;but they are making it although very risky… Sometimes people think they will not be able to make it. Women are mostly left behind for so long and even nationally the Policy Makers are not involved to change the situation in anyway..

Dr. Oguttu is the funding Director of Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET) — a local Indigenous organization with a mission of breaking the silence on unsafe abortion by documenting the stories of survivors and advocating for expanded access to safe abortion and other sexual and reproductive health services. She is known for her ability to promote collaboration between government officials, private and public sector providers and communities to work together for results. Her top priorities are access to SRH including abortion services, task shifting/sharing, training materials and standards and guidelines. She has participated in various Technical Working Groups e.g. WHO Technical Working Group for Task shifting/Sharing in Abortion Care and Board member of SAAF and Ipas among others. Todate Monica is leading in saving womens lives through innovative health products like the UBT for management of PPH; Training of Pharmtech to offer the much needed abortion services at the door step all in ensuring access to SRH is prioritized!

Madeline has been a leader for reproductive rights for over three decades. She has the analytic ability of a biologist along with a whole system view of humans in the socio-ecological system. She has debated and written about the obstacles women have faced in both developed and underdeveloped countries. I have benefited greatly, as have countless others, from her educational efforts over the past few decades.