About the Author

Dame Margaret Sparrow has had a long career in general and reproductive health. She has worked as Child Health Medical Officer in New Plymouth 1965-1969, in general practice at Victoria University Student Health 1969-1981, as visiting Venereologist at Wellington Hospital 1977-1999, at the Parkview Abortion Clinic 1980-1998, and with Wellington Family Planning from 1971 until her retirement in 2005. Born in Inglewood in 1935, she was educated at Waitara District and New Plymouth Girls’ High Schools and Victoria, Otago and London Universities. She has an honorary doctorate from Victoria University, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), and an Honorary Vice-President of Family Planning. She is President of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand and a Director of Istar Ltd, a not-for-profit company which imports the abortion pill. In 1987 she was awarded an MBE, in 1993 she received the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal and in 2002 was awarded the DCNZM for services to medicine and the community.