Woman of the week: Cecile Richards

After 12 years as president of Planned Parenthood in the US, the activist and feminist is currently spending her time traveling the country, spreading her uplifting and galvanizing message far and wide. She has serious political pedigree – her mother was governor of Texas and her father a civil rights lawyer – and right now she’s busy mobilizing women across the US and beyond, determined to motivate as many as possible to vote, run for office or campaign for the issues that they’re truly passionate about. She was one of the driving forces behind 2017’s Women’s March and this year she published a book, Make Trouble, which she describes as a guide to “how women can lead and chase or challenge the current environment, situation, and support each other”.

“I feel so hopeful about the future. Women are feeling inspired by the success of other women and that to me is what’s so exciting: that everywhere I go, rather than feeling beat down or discouraged, they’re actually saying, ‘I just want to know what more I can do and how I can support other women and learn from what they’re doing.’ This is a moment when women aren’t waiting anymore for someone to ask whether it’s ok to run for office or telling them what to do. I always say, ‘Start before you’re ready’, and I think more and more women are doing that and that’s just incredibly joyful.”

“Cecile Richards is a true activist. Through Planned Parenthood, she’s made women’s lives healthier and better. Her relentless determination continues to grow.” Diane von Furstenberg