reproductive rights
Cecile Richards, Advocate for Women’s Reproductive Rights, Passes Away at 67
The former president of Planned Parenthood spent her career advocating for women’s rights.
On Monday, just hours before Donald Trump took office as the 47th president of the United States, Cecile Richards, a lifelong advocate and political organizer who led Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018, succumbed to glioblastoma, a severe and untreatable form of brain cancer.
Richards was raised in Texas, the child of lawyer David Richards and Ann Richards, the previous Democratic governor of Texas. She dedicated many years to labor organizing and co-founded America Votes in 2004, a group aimed at advancing progressive causes. Richards served as the deputy chief of staff to California Democrat Nancy Pelosi when she was minority whip in 2001. Pelosi once remarked that Richards, “she should be president” – a significant compliment from one of the longest-serving members of Congress in the U.S.
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Richards gained national recognition when she became the president of Planned Parenthood in 2006. She led the organization during a time when women’s reproductive rights faced increasing challenges, particularly during the presidencies of George W. Bush and the initial term of Trump.
Despite attempts by Republicans to restrict abortion access, Richards succeeded in expanding Planned Parenthood into the largest provider of reproductive and sexual health services in the country. Under her direction, the organization grew its support network from 2.5 million to over 11 million volunteers and donors.
However, the path was not without obstacles. Texas, her home state, initiated a particularly brutal campaign against Planned Parenthood’s funding from the government—initially successfully cutting financial support for contraception programs, cancer screenings, and H.I.V. prevention. Then in 2021, before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Texas enacted a trigger law that completely banned abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, in 2022.
That same year, just months before the Roe v. Wade decision was reversed, Richards published an opinion piece in The New York Times titled, “The One Regret From My Time Leading Planned Parenthood.” In the article, Richards described how Republicans slowly eroded women’s fundamental human rights. She recounted, “one of the most surreal moments of my life” was when Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner requested to meet with her before President Trump’s inauguration. The president’s daughter and son-in-law expressed that if Planned Parenthood ceased its abortion services, “they promised, not only would Mr. Trump stop the organization from being defunded – he might just increase funding for Planned Parenthood.” Richards realized then that, “what they really wanted, more than anything, was for Planned Parenthood to get out of politics.”
She did not withdraw from politics. In 2018, Richards resigned from her position at Planned Parenthood to concentrate on mobilizing female voters nationwide. Even after being diagnosed with cancer in 2023, she continued her advocacy—launching a project titled Abortion in America that uses Instagram and TikTok videos to share personal accounts from women who were denied abortions. She also created a chatbot named Charley that assists women in finding access to abortion care.
In November, Richards proudly recounted casting her vote for Kamala Harris, stating to The 19th, “I had been waiting for this chance all my life.” She did not witness America electing its first female president, and her death just hours before Trump’s second inauguration holds a profound significance. May her legacy motivate the upcoming generation of American women, who might soon find themselves once again striving for sexual and reproductive rights.
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