About the Author

Elizabeth (Liz) Maguire worked for 45 years in the international sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) field, holding senior leadership positions in the U.S. government and the non-profit sector.

For 16 years (1999-2015), she was President and CEO of Ipas, transforming it into a large global non-profit organization, working with a broad network of partners to advance women's reproductive health and rights around the world, including access to comprehensive abortion care. Prior to Ipas, Maguire had a distinguished 22-year career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), including serving as Director of the Office of Population and Reproductive Health during the 1990s and as a member of the U.S. Government's Senior Executive Service. Early in her career, Maguire was Director of Media Programs at the Population Reference Bureau and worked as a broadcaster and translator for Francophone Africa at Voice of America.

Among her multiple awards are USAID's Distinguished Career Service Award, the Population Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Carl S. Shultz Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Public Health Association. As a senior SRHR advisor, writer, and guest lecturer, Maguire is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of leaders. Her memoir, Advancing Reproductive Choice: Leading with Conviction and Compassion, was published in December 2020. It received the 2021 Independent Press Award and was a medalist in the 2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) - both in the category of women's studies. Maguire's book was also awarded the 2021 Silver Medal (Inspirational Memoir-Female) by the Living Now Book Awards and was a finalist in the Women's Issues/Women's Studies category of the 2021 Best Book Awards. Maguire’s book received the 2022 Memoir Prize for Books (Gender Equality).

Maguire received an M.A. in Sociology and Demography from Georgetown University. A multilingual U.S. and Irish citizen, she has lived in England, France, and Italy, and has travelled to 85 countries. Maguire divides her time between Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Nice, France.