Gloria Steinem, the groundbreaking journalist, author and activist who became one of the defining leaders of second-wave feminism and spent more than half a century fighting for women’s equality, has died. She was 92.
Steinem died Wednesday, September 2, at her home in New York City, according to an announcement from her foundation. A cause of death was not disclosed. The statement announcing her death said Steinem “passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her.”
© AFP via Getty ImagesHer foundation remembered a woman whose work for equality continued almost to the end of her life. “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” the statement said. It added that Steinem's ability to listen and make people feel “seen and heard” was among her greatest gifts.
Steinem leaves behind a legacy that stretches far beyond any single organization, magazine or political campaign. Through journalism, organizing, books and speeches, she helped move conversations about abortion, workplace discrimination, marriage, political representation and women's independence from the margins of American culture into the mainstream.
How Gloria Steinem Became a Journalism Trailblazer
Long before she became one of the most recognizable faces of the feminist movement, Steinem was trying to establish herself as a journalist in an industry where women were routinely steered toward stories about fashion, food and relationships.
© GC ImagesBorn Gloria Marie Steinem on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio, she graduated from Smith College in 1956. She later spent two years in India, an experience that influenced her approach to grassroots organizing and activism.
One of Steinem's most famous early assignments came in 1963, when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny at New York's Playboy Club. Her resulting exposé documented the working conditions experienced by the women employed there, including sexual harassment and demanding workplace requirements.
The investigation attracted enormous attention, although Steinem later said the assignment temporarily made it more difficult for her to be taken seriously for other journalism work.
© UPI/AFP via Getty ImagesBy 1968, she had helped found New York Magazine and became a political columnist and feature writer. Her work increasingly focused on politics, social inequality and the emerging women's liberation movement.
Gloria Steinem and the Rise of Ms. Magazine
Steinem's influence grew dramatically during the women's liberation movement of the late 1960s and 1970s.
In 1971, she helped launch Ms. magazine, initially appearing as a sample insert in New York magazine. The publication became an independent magazine in 1972 and offered something strikingly different from many women's magazines of the era.
© Getty ImagesInstead of concentrating primarily on marriage, beauty and homemaking, Ms. tackled abortion, politics, workplace discrimination, gender roles and other issues affecting women's lives.
Steinem remained an editor at the magazine for 15 years and later continued her association with the publication.
Ms. became both a major journalistic platform and an institution within the feminist movement, helping introduce feminist arguments and reporting to a much larger national audience.
Steinem's influence was never limited to publishing. She co-founded organizations including the National Women's Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Women's Media Center. She was also involved in organizations and initiatives focused on political representation, media equality, reproductive rights and women's rights internationally.
© Kevin MazurGetty Images for 11:1Her fame also made her a frequent target of criticism.
Steinem nevertheless remained publicly engaged for decades, speaking at universities, rallies and political events while mentoring younger activists and supporting causes that connected gender inequality with racism and other forms of discrimination. “If you’ve suffered discrimination, you’re sensitive to it on every level,” she once said while discussing what she had learned from Black women and women of color.
© Getty Images Ms. Foundation forGloria Steinem's Famous Quotes Captured Her Wit
Part of Steinem's enduring appeal was her ability to turn complicated questions about gender into memorable observations. When a reporter told her around her 40th birthday that she did not look 40, Steinem responded: “This is what 40 looks like.” The line became closely associated with her challenge to cultural expectations surrounding women and aging.
Hillary Clinton Remembers Gloria Steinem
Tributes began arriving quickly after news of Steinem's death. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a longtime friend and political ally, described Steinem as “one of the architects of the entire structure of women’s equality” during an appearance on CBS Mornings.
Clinton said she was “heartsick” over her friend's death and highlighted the optimism that remained central to Steinem's activism. “Gloria was at heart an optimist,” Clinton said. “Her activism was rooted in optimism, and that's a moral choice, and she made it every day.”
© Getty ImagesClinton also offered a message to younger women considering what comes after Steinem's generation of feminist leadership: “I’m hoping that young women realize that the fight is worth it. It is exhilarating.”
Barack Obama Awarded Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Steinem's work brought some of the country's highest honors.
In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
© Getty ImagesSteinem characteristically redirected the recognition toward the broader movement, saying she would be “crazy” not to understand that the honor represented the work of the entire women's movement.
Her other honors included the National Magazine Award, journalism awards and the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.
© GC ImagesShe was also the subject of documentaries and Julie Taymor's 2020 film The Glorias, which dramatized different stages of Steinem's life.
