KEY POINT
Gloria Steinem died Wednesday at age 92, according to her foundation.
She helped establish major platforms for women’s political participation and advocacy.
Her journalism, activism and work with Ms. magazine influenced the second-wave feminist movement.
WASHINGTON Gloria Steinem, one of the most recognizable figures of the women’s rights movement, died Wednesday at 92, her foundation announced on Instagram.
Steinem became a leading voice of what later became known as second-wave feminism. Her work combined journalism, political organizing and advocacy, allowing her to remain involved in women’s issues for decades beyond the movement’s rise in the 1970s.
Her foundation described listening as one of her greatest gifts, saying her ability to make people feel seen and heard was central to the example she set. The statement said her words and actions encouraged people to express themselves authentically.
Before becoming one of the most prominent feminist activists in the United States, Steinem built her reputation as a journalist. One of her most notable assignments involved going undercover as a Playboy Bunny at the New York Playboy Club.
She documented that experience in the 1963 article “A Bunny’s Tale,” providing a firsthand account of working at the club. Her reporting also included abortion-rights rallies before the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.
That combination of reporting and activism became a defining feature of Steinem’s public career. She used journalism not only to report on women’s experiences but also to draw wider attention to issues she believed affected their equality.
Ms. Magazine and a New Feminist Platform
Steinem was among the co-founders of Ms. magazine, which debuted in the summer of 1972. The publication became an important platform for figures associated with the women’s movement.
Its first publication featured Wonder Woman alongside the declaration “Wonder Woman for President.” The cover also addressed the Vietnam War, reflecting Steinem’s opposition to the conflict.
The magazine’s name itself challenged conventional expectations. Steinem supported the use of “Ms.” as a neutral title, arguing that “Miss” and “Mrs.” could identify women according to marital status in professional environments.
Steinem’s activism also extended directly into political organization. In 1971, she co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus with Shirley Chisholm, creating an organization focused on increasing women’s participation in presidential politics.
The group called for women to account for at least half of the delegates representing the Democratic and Republican parties at political conventions. The effort reflected a broader push to give women greater influence within American political institutions.
Steinem also worked alongside Betty Friedan, author of “The Feminine Mystique,” and New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug to rally political candidates around the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.
The amendment sought to prohibit discrimination based on sex. Although supporters campaigned extensively for ratification, the ERA ultimately failed to receive the required 38 state ratifications.
Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, during the Great Depression. She later graduated magna cum laude and as a Phi Beta Kappa member from Smith College in Massachusetts.
She also attended Western High School in Washington, D.C., before beginning the journalism and activist career that would eventually place her at the center of the national women’s movement.
Steinem did not end her advocacy as the women’s movement entered later decades. In 2005, she joined actor Jane Fonda and activist Robin Morgan in founding the Women’s Media Center.
The organization was established as a watchdog focused on the way women are represented in popular media. Its creation demonstrated Steinem’s continuing interest in how women were portrayed and whose voices received public attention.
Her political involvement also continued into the 21st century. She became an opponent of President Donald Trump and remained active in public discussions surrounding women’s rights and politics.
In 2017, Steinem served as an honorary co-chair of the Women’s March, a worldwide protest held in the days following Trump’s first inauguration.
Her participation reflected the longevity of her activism. Decades after she first emerged as a major figure in the women’s movement, Steinem was still appearing publicly on issues involving gender equality and national politics.
Steinem’s death marks the loss of a figure whose career connected several major parts of the women’s movement: investigative journalism, political organizing, publishing and long-term advocacy.
Her influence was not limited to one organization or campaign. Through Ms. magazine, political groups, the Equal Rights Amendment campaign and later media advocacy, she helped create platforms through which women’s issues could receive sustained public attention.
