Gloria Steinem, pioneering feminist activist and journalist, dies at 92
Steinem, a leader of the US women's liberation movement who co-founded Ms. magazine and the Women's Action Alliance, died peacefully at her home in New York City.
What happened
Gloria Steinem died on Wednesday at age 92 at her New York City home, surrounded by loved ones, according to her foundation. Born in Toledo, Ohio on 25 March 1934, she began her career as a freelance journalist in New York in the early 1960s, gaining prominence through an exposé on Playboy Bunny working conditions before becoming a columnist for New York Magazine. In 1972 she co-founded Ms. magazine, one of the first publications to focus on women's issues other than housekeeping and beauty. She co-founded the Women's Action Alliance more than 50 years ago to fight sexism. Steinem married entrepreneur David Bale in 2000; he died three years later from brain lymphoma. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2013.
Context
Steinem was a vocal advocate for women's reproductive rights, celebrated the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision granting abortion access, and later witnessed its reversal. She also campaigned for same-sex marriage legalization, equal pay and rights for women, and spoke against the death penalty and female genital mutilation. Her early activism was shaped by a research scholarship to India in the late 1950s, where she spent two years in a variety of roles including helping village women organize non-violent protests. Her foundation noted she continued working for equality until her death, hosting 'Talking Circles' at her home as a centre for social justice movements. A forthcoming book, An Unexpected Life, is among her final legacies.