Amy Coen

Amy Coen is President and CEO of Population Action International (PAI). Coen has led PAI for 11 years, positioning it as one of the world’s leading research and advocacy organizations working to ensure that women and reproductive health are integral components of global development solutions. She is a recognized international spokesperson on the linkages between population, women’s reproductive health, the environment, and development.

Under Coen’s leadership, PAI has helped secure major victories, including the repeal of the Global Gag Rule by President Obama and the pending return of the United States as a contributor to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).. Coen helped lead international coalition efforts to address the chronic shortages of contraceptives and other reproductive health supplies in developing countries. She has also led PAI to strengthen U.S. HIV/AIDS prevention programs and secure additional funding by multilateral organizations. Internally, Coen has grown PAI’s programs and expanded its staff, as well as created a positive work environment—in 2007, PAI was named one of 60, “great places to work,” by Washingtonian Magazine.

Throughout a 30 year career focused on women’s issues, Coen has served on non-profit boards and official U.S. delegations. She was one of 14 women profiled in the PBS/BBC program “People’s Century,” where she was chronicled alongside other early leaders of the international women’s movement. Prior to joining PAI, Coen served for 13 years as President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Chicago Area. As part of Planned Parenthood’s national leadership team in the 1980s, Coen spearheaded the creation of new affiliates in the Southern region of the United States. Coen is also a founder and the first director of Women's Network, a non-profit dedicated to finding employment and education opportunities for homeless women.