Rebecca Gomperts awarded
Founder Women on Waves received Margaret Sanger Woman of Valor Award
Rebecca Gomperts, a medical doctor and founder of the abortion rights organization Women on Waves, received the Margaret Sanger- Woman of Valour Award from Planned Parenthood New York City on April 14. She received this award for providing outstanding contributions to the reproductive rights movement.
Previous awardees include Frances Kissling of Catholics for a Free Choice; Sarah Weddington who argued Roe v Wade; Joycelyn Elders, the former Surgeon General; Faye Wattleton, former head of Planned Parenthood Federation America; and Dr. Nafis Sadik who headed United Nations Family Planning Association for many years.
Rebecca Gomperts (born 1966) studied medicine and visual arts in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After graduating Gomperts became an abortion doctor and sailed with the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, as its doctor and as an environmental activist. While sailing in South America she encountered many women who suffered greatly due to lack of access to reproductive heath services and safe, legal abortions. These women and their stories inspired Rebecca Gomperts to start Women on Waves.
Rebecca Gomperts has also written a novel Zeedrift and published articles and essays. Rebecca Gomperts received the MS Women on the Year 2001 award, the Women Making History Award by Planned Parenthood of New York City and the Clara Meijer Wichmann Penning of 2002 by the Dutch Liga for Human Rights.
