Empower 2025 Keynote Speaker, Amanda Zurawski
Amanda Zurawski is a reproductive rights advocate who lives in Austin, TX. In 2022, after 18 months of fertility treatment, Amanda and her husband Josh learned she was pregnant with their first baby. Unfortunately Amanda miscarried at 18 weeks. Due to the abortion bans in Texas, she was unable to receive health care. After three days, Amanda crashed into septic shock, which nearly killed her.
After spending a week in the hospital, Amanda began speaking out about her experience to help spread awareness and with hopes of preventing similar fates befalling other pregnant people, in Texas and beyond.
Amanda has spent the last two years advocating for reproductive rights and abortion access. She has testified in front of U.S. Congress, has provided interviews for countless media outlets and platforms, and was the lead plaintiff in Zurwaski v. Texas, the first lawsuit brought by patients challenging a state on its abortion bans since the fall of Roe v. Wade The case is featured in a documentary by the same name. Amanda was a surrogate for the Harris-Walz presidential campaign and continues to advocate through political, news and social platforms. She is a 2024 USA Today Woman of the Year and on the BBC’s 2024 list of 100 Women. In 2025 she was named a TIME Woman of the Year and received the Planned Parenthood Champion of Change Award.
