Shakira Maxwell holds a PhD in Social Policy from The University of the West Indies. Her research areas include policy, health, female criminality, gender and human rights. She is the current President of the Board of Directors of the Jamaica Family Planning Association, one of the longest serving NGOs in the island which provides safe sexual and reproductive health services to some of the most vulnerable in society. An advocate for gender equality and social justice she has made presentations and written reports seeking to make impactful changes on the lives of both men and women in a number of fora including those hosted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, UNWOMEN, and several local and international conferences.