Born on June 21, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1964 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Civilization. She built a distinguished career as an award-winning broadcast journalist, earning two Emmy Awards for her investigative reporting on topics including child abuse and family violence, before entering politics as a women's rights advocate. Elected as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district (1993-1995), her tenure was marked by a pivotal vote change from 'no' to 'yes' on President Bill Clinton's 1993 budget, a decision she later credited with costing her re-election in 1994 amid the Republican wave. Post-Congress, she founded Women's Campaign International in 1997 to promote women's political participation globally and served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women under President Clinton. She is the mother of 11 children, three biological and eight adopted from diverse countries, and was married to former Congressman Edward Mezvinsky from 1975 until their divorce amid his 2001 conviction for bank fraud. Currently, she holds positions as a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government and as adjunct faculty there, while authoring books like 'Women Lead the Way' (2009) and continuing her advocacy for women's rights and adoption.