Gloria Feldt

Gloria Feldt (b. April 13, 1942 in Temple, Texas) is an American writer, commentator, and women's rights advocate. She has written two books, The War on Choice: The Right-Wing Attack on Women's Rights and How to Fight Back and Behind Every Choice Is a Story, as well as contributed to three others. Her commentary has been published in print and she has made appearances on television, radio, and at speaking engagements.

Feldt served as the national president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) from 1996 to 2005, and led its affiliates in West Texas and Central and Northern Arizona, from 1973 to 1995.

Biography
Born in Temple, Texas, April 13, 1942, Feldt moved with her family to Stamford, Texas in 1954. As a young wife and mother, Gloria raised three children while attending college in Odessa, Texas. She taught in the Head Start program and was active in the civil rights movement and many interfaith activities. She determined that women's civil rights and social justice depend on the right to make one’s own sexual and reproductive decisions.  Her leadership helped bring over a million people to Washington D. C. in 2004 to March for Women's Lives. Internationally, she launched PP Global Partners, and served on the U.S. delegation to the U.N.'s Cairo plus Five meeting in The Hague.

Feldt also served as president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, PPFA's political arm, which became the largest nonpartisan, pro-choice action fund and political action committee. In 2004, it made its first presidential endorsement.

Feldt continues to write, speak and remain active in the women's rights movement. She serves on the board of the Women’s Media Center and is a member of the Independent Women’s Forum and Women in Communications International. She and her husband, Alex Barbanell, have a combined family of six children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. They live in New York City and Arizona. 

Awards and honors

 * Women’s E-News 21 Leaders for the 21st Century (May, 2007)
 * Planned Parenthood Federation of America Margaret Sanger Award (2005)
 * Women Lawyers Assoc. of Los Angeles Courage Award (2005)
 * Planned Parenthood Golden Gate Sarah Weddington Award (2005)
 * ACLU-Arizona Civil Libertarian of the Year (2005)
 * Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year (2003)
 * American Humanist Society Award
 * Vanity Fair Magazine Top 200 Women leaders, Legends, and Trailblazers (1998)
 * Texas Monthly Magazine Texas Twenty (1996)
 * City of Phoenix Martin Luther King Living the Dream Award (1996)
 * National Executive Directors Council Ruth Green Award (1990)
 * Woman of Achievement Award (Jr.League, Soroptimist, Mujer) (1987)

Books

 * The War on Choice: The Right-Wing Attack on Women's Rights and How to Fight Back (Bantam, 2004),
 * Behind Every Choice Is a Story (University of North Texas Press, 2003),
 * Take the Lead, Lady! (Springboard Press, late 2007) in collaboration with Kathleen Turner

Contributions

 * Our Bodies, Ourselves Menopause
 * Becoming Myself: Reflections on Growing up Female
 * Abortion under Attack: Women on the Challenges Facing Choice