Women who live near Stamford, Connecticut might already be familiar with Dr. Shieva Ghofrany. She’s a well-respected OB/GYN at Coastal Obstetrics and Gynecology, but that’s only part of her story. For starters, she’s a science communicator, tackling common questions about women’s health for a wide audience. She’s a YWCA Woman of Distinction, having earned the accolade for helping everyday women conquer their fears and discover their own “fierce juju.” On top of that, Ghofrany co-created A Tribe Called V: an organization that demystifies pregnancy, fertility, mental health, and other issues that American society has tended to stigmatize.
At A Tribe Called V, the language is calming and down-to-earth, and no topic is taboo or off limits. “Let’s woman together” is the organization’s rallying cry. Readers can learn the answers to common OB/GYN questions via digestible Instagram posts, or free Q&A sessions on Zoom.
This year, Ghofrany has also weighed in on the politics of maternal health. She has claimed that the American healthcare system is “broken,” citing high maternal mortality rates, personnel shortages, prohibitive costs, restrictions on reproductive rights, and outright racism. Ghofrany has already inspired individual women to seek better medical outcomes, but in the future, she might accomplish something similar on a national scale.