Ten days before the 2016 election, I was standing in a cinderblock room in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with Cecile Richards and other leaders of prominent women’s groups, all of us out to make the case for Hillary Clinton’s historic run for President.

Cecile Richards, a women’s rights crusader who served as president of Planned Parenthood as the nation approached a critical inflection point over reproductive freedom, has died, her family said Monday in a statement.

Two months before her death, Richards was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President Joe Biden.

The news of her death was discouraging to the point of despair. And yet, upon further reflection, I realized quickly that Cecile’s life should guide us.

She oversaw the United States’ largest provider of reproductive health care and sex education from 2006 to 2018.

Good morning! Trump signs sweeping executive orders, VC deals for female founders hit a five-year low, and Cecile Richards fought for abortion rights until her death. - Lasting legacy. For a piece of news to break through the noise of Donald Trump's second inauguration,

Richards, the eldest daughter of Gov. Ann Richards, forged her own path as a tireless advocate for women across Texas and the United States.

Cecile Richards died Monday after battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, her family said in a statement.

"We’ve been investing in young people for the last 12 years, and now it’s really important that we make space for them to lead.”

What her famous mother did as Texas governor, Cecile carried on by standing up a range of progressive and pro-choice organizations.

Women's rights activist and former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, 67, died at her home surrounded by family and her dog Ollie on Monday morning, her family announced.

Cecile Richards, a national leader for women’s rights who led Planned Parenthood for 12 tumultuous years, has died. She was 67.