We are honored to welcome Professor Rebecca J. Cook, a pioneering scholar whose work has transformed women’s human rights and reproductive justice around the world. Rebecca has also been a close friend of our family for more than thirty years, first connecting with my father, Professor Bert B. Lockwood, through her contributions to Human Rights Quarterly and the University of Pennsylvania Press human rights book series.

Rebecca’s early work in the 1970s at International Planned Parenthood exposed her to profound injustices faced by women who were denied access to contraception and abortion. Having survived polio the year the vaccine became available, she carried a deep sense of empathy into her work, recognizing how law and health shape human vulnerability. Her efforts helped broaden the human rights community’s understanding of reproductive autonomy, including early conversations with Sir Nigel Rodley about why women’s health belonged at the center of human rights advocacy.

As a professor at the University of Toronto, Rebecca helped build one of the world’s leading programs on women’s human rights, mentoring generations of students and advancing research on gender stereotyping, structural discrimination, and harmful practices such as polygyny. Her scholarship has influenced courts in countries like Indonesia and South Africa, shaped CEDAW’s interpretation of discriminatory norms, and guided international efforts to promote women’s dignity and equality.

In our conversation, Rebecca reflects on the experiences that shaped her path, the legal strategies that have proven most effective, and the work that remains to be done. Her insight, clarity, and humanity offer a powerful guide for anyone committed to advancing women’s rights in a complex and changing world.