Wilson College

Rebecca Gomperts studied Medicine and Visual Arts in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After she worked as an intern in surgery and radiology, she became an abortion doctor and sailed as a ship’s doctor and environmental activist on board the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior. While sailing in South America, she met many women who suffered greatly due to lack of access to reproductive health services and safe, legal abortion. These women and their stories were the inspiration for Gomperts to start Women on Waves, a non-profit organization founded in 1999, with the aim of outfitting a floating reproductive health clinic that also can provide the abortion pill safely and legally outside the territorial waters of countries where abortion is illegal. After sailing to international waters, early medical abortions are provided safely, professionally and legally on board the ship. While in harbor, the ship hosts several programs, such as contraceptive distribution, counseling, education and workshops for different professionals. So far, Women on Waves has implemented four successful campaigns in Ireland (2001),Poland (2003), Portugal (2004) and Spain (2008), each of which created enormous public interest. In recent years, Women on Waves has initiated safe abortion hotlines in Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Pakistan, and has trained grassroots women’s organizations in several African countries. In 2006, Women on Web, a telemedical service was set up to help women around the world access safe medical abortions. 

Rebecca Gomperts also has written a novel, Zeedrift, and published articles and essays. She received the Ms Magazine Women of the Year Award (2001), the Women Making History Award from Planned Parenthood of New York City (2002), the Clara Meijer-Wichmann Penning Award from the Liga voor de Rechten van de Mens (2002), the Margaret Sanger Woman of Valor Award (2004), and the Global Women’s Rights Awards, Feminist Majority Foundation (2007).