Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem dies, aged 92

Gloria Steinem, the iconic feminist activist and journalist who helped shape the modern women’s liberation movement, died peacefully at her New York City home on Wednesday at age 92, surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement from her foundation. A pioneering writer and magazine editor, Steinem co‑founded the Women’s Action Alliance more than five decades ago and launched Ms. magazine in 1972, one of the first publications to address women’s issues beyond domestic topics. Her lifelong advocacy spanned reproductive rights, same‑sex marriage, equal pay, opposition to the death penalty and condemnation of female genital mutilation, and she remained active in the cause until her final days, hosting “Talking Circles” in her home that will continue after her death.

Steinem’s personal history underscores the depth of her commitment to grassroots activism. Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934, she did not attend school full‑time until age twelve and later earned a university degree before receiving a research scholarship to India, where she helped village women organize non‑violent protests. Returning to the United States in the early 1960s, she broke into journalism with an exposé on Playboy Bunny working conditions, later becoming a columnist for New York Magazine. Her own experience with an illegal abortion in London at age 22 fueled her vocal support for the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, a right she later saw reversed, reinforcing her role as a steadfast champion of reproductive freedom.

The news of Steinem’s passing prompted an outpouring of tributes from public figures and feminists worldwide. Meghan Markle recalled Steinem as a personal mentor who shared tea, advice and “unrivaled cheekiness and wit,” noting a bracelet the princess now wears that reads “we are linked, not ranked.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described her as “one of the architects of the entire structure of women’s equality,” emphasizing her optimistic moral stance. In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and her foundation highlighted her forthcoming memoir, *An Unexpected Life*, as a lasting gift intended to ripple through future generations.

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