Meet Jackie Shapiro

This year, as part of our Freedom Awards Benefit, we are proud to honor Jackie Shapiro for her outstanding leadership and engagement in the anti-trafficking field. Please take a moment to read her biography below.

Jackie Shapiro grew up in Greeley, Colorado and thought she wanted to be a diplomat. That didn’t happen. But, a bit unusual for “her time”, she did graduate from college with a triple major in history, East Asian area studies and Chinese language. With great idealism and enthusiasm, she joined the Peace Corps and was sent to teach as a volunteer in South Korea. She and her husband, Bob, met and married in the Peace Corps and are still married.

After the Peace Corps, the newlyweds settled in New York City  where they raised two daughters. Jackie had several careers- an owner and trainer at an exercise salon, a professional caterer and a freelance writer.  When her children were old enough, Jackie returned to her interest in international affairs and became the Co-Chair of The New York Committee for OXFAM America and the Co-Chair for the US-El Salvador Sister Cities Committee.

In 1996, Jackie was invited by an international professional womens’ organization to which she belonged, to become one of their United Nations representatives. In addition to serving for twelve years as their UN Committee Chair, she has been an active member of the non-governmental community, advocating for the advancement of the rights of women and girls. She has had many leadership roles including Chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, President of the NGO Committee on UNIFEM, Co-Chair of the NGO Committee on UNICEF,  First Vice President of the NGO/DPI Executive Committee,  First Vice Chair of CoNGO and interim Chair of the the UNA-USA Council of Organizations.

Jackie was the founding Chair of Girl Be Heard, an organization that mentors youth in the NY tri-state area with an interest in theater arts to become activists for social change.

In 2010 Jackie joined the Board of ECPAT-USA and in 2014 became their Main ECOSOC Representative to the United Nations and in 2015 became Board Chair.

Jackie continues to represent PACT at the United Nations on the NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons, the Working Group to End Homelessness and the NGO Committee on Migration.

Jackie Is the Vice-President of the Thadhani Foundation, which is funding an innovative project in trafficking prevention among migrants in the NYC area.