[1] She is the founder of the International Reproductive Rights Research Action Group (IRRAG).
[3] Petchesky graduated from Smith College summa cum laude, and has a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.
In 1987 she was hired as Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of Women's Studies at Hunter College in New York.
Petchesky was the oldest person arrested at Grand Central Terminal, October 27, 2023, in a protest calling for a ceasefire in the 2023 Gaza conflict.
[6] She was also among a group of 18 Jewish elder women who chained themselves to the White House front gate prior to the annual Hanukkah party.