Gloria Steinem, who became a leader of the women's liberation movement in the US, has died aged 92.
In a post on Instagram her foundation said she passed away peacefully at her home in New York City on Wednesday, surrounded by many who loved her.
Steinem was a writer, magazine editor, and co‑founder of the Womens Action Alliance, a group dedicated to fighting sexism, and later the first publication to focus on women's issues aside from housekeeping and beauty.
During the 1970s she was a vocal campaigner for women's reproductive rights, having obtained an illegal abortion in London at age 22 and later celebrating the 1973 Supreme Court ruling Roe v Wade. She also supported same‑sex marriage, equal pay, and fought against the death penalty and female genital mutilation.
Her career began in New York as a freelance journalist, breaking headlines on Playboy Bunny working conditions and becoming a columnist for New York Magazine before founding Ms. magazine in 1972.
Steinem famously eschewed marriage until 2000, when she married South African entrepreneur David Bale. He died three years later from brain lymphoma. When asked why she married, she replied, “I didnt change. Marriage changed.”
In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US.
Her foundation said she continued working for equality until the very end, hosting community “Talking Circles” and urging visitors to listen and feel seen.
Tributes poured in from celebrities and leaders, including Meghan Markle who praised the friendship and support she received from Steinem, and Hillary Clinton who highlighted Steinem as an architect of womens equality. Markle has a bracelet bearing Steinem’s phrase “we are linked, not ranked.”
Gloria Steinem’s legacy remains through her written works, public speaking, and the ongoing impact of her foundation’s social justice initiatives.
