Planned Parenthood Global Welcomes Actress and Advocate Stephanie March
For Immediate Release: July 21, 2017
“Law and Order” Star Will Serve on Global Advisory Board for Leading Health NGO
New York, NY - Planned Parenthood Global welcomes entrepreneur and philanthropist Stephanie March to its Global Advisory Board.
March’s great-grandmother Ruby Webster March helped found the West Texas Mothers’ Health Center in 1938, a facility that was later run by Planned Parenthood of West Texas. Coming from a family of strong female activists and as a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood, March spends a significant amount of time traveling globally for causes benefiting women and education. In addition to Planned Parenthood Global, March has served on a variety of boards, including the advisory boards of OneKid OneWorld and Safe Horizon. She is the celebrity ambassador for the World of Children Award and the recipient of their 2016 Board of Governors’ Award.
March recently penned an op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter, reflecting on a trip with Planned Parenthood Global to Senegal, where abortion is criminalized, amid current developments on access to care in the U.S.
“We’re so pleased to have Stephanie March join our Global Advisory Board,” said Latanya Mapp Frett, executive director of Planned Parenthood Global. “Stephanie’s support is invaluable at this moment when we are seeing attacks on reproductive health and rights both in the U.S. and globally. Stephanie has devoted her career and platform to raising awareness about the importance of dignity, rights, and bodily autonomy for all, and we are looking forward to partnering with her to bring awareness to the life-saving work of our partners, who are working diligently to advance the health and rights of communities across Africa and Latin America.”
As a member of the Global Advisory Board, March will help oversee the activities of Planned Parenthood Global and lend support to several strategic initiatives in support of the organizational mission to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights.
“I’m so honored to join the Planned Parenthood Global Advisory Board in their fight to support the health and rights of women, men and young people, including survivors of sexual assault, across Africa and Latin America,” Stephanie March said. “Whether in the U.S. or in another country, survivors of sexual assault need comprehensive care to meet their physical and mental health needs, including access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Fundamentally, they need the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies. That is what we will fight for together.”
Not only is Planned Parenthood leading the charge to advance access to health care in the U.S., but the organization has also been working globally for more than 40 years to support local partners across Africa and Latin America to advance reproductive health and rights in their own communities.
The new administration and the new Congress have been particularly cruel in their policies toward women — and it hasn’t even been a year. The administration’s actions – including cutting funding for international family planning, taking action to “defund” the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and expanding the harmful global gag rule – will have a devastating impact and put women's lives at risk.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.
For more than 45 years, Planned Parenthood Federation of America has supported access to sexual and reproductive health care and advocated for reproductive rights around the world through our international arm, Planned Parenthood Global. In partnership with more than 100 organizations across 12 focus countries in Africa and Latin America, we advance the health and rights of young people, women, and families, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable and underserved. Last year, our partners reached 1.5 million people with sexual and reproductive health information and services. Our unique sustainability model sets us apart, as we empower partners to stand on their own. We help grassroots organizations develop solid reproductive health programs, identify other sources of funding, build their communications and advocacy skills, and develop strategic plans.
Stephanie March is an actor, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Rouge makeup salons. Best known for her iconic role for six seasons on NBC’s Law & Order SVU, March most recently starred on Adult Swim’s Neon Joe. In 2013, with her Law & Order makeup department head, Rebecca Perkins, March opened the first Rouge makeup salon in NYC. In addition to Law & Order SVU, March has appeared in critically acclaimed films and television shows including “30 Rock,” “Happy Endings,” “Rescue Me,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “The Invention of Lying,” “The Treatment,” “Predisposed,” and “Innocence.” She has also been seen onstage in the Tony nominated revivals of Death of a Salesman, Talk Radio, and Boys’ Life. March has also been featured in publications such as The Hollywood Reporter, Refinery29, HuffPost, and Fathom. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and currently resides in Manhattan.