Gloria Steinem, the American journalist and feminist activist who became one of the defining figures of the women’s liberation movement, has died aged 92.
Steinem died on Wednesday, September 2, at her home in New York City, surrounded by people close to her, according to a statement shared by her foundation. No cause of death has been disclosed. ([vogue.com](https://www.vogue.com/article/gloria-steinem-obituary?utm_source=openai))
“Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” the statement said.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934, Steinem rose to prominence as a writer before becoming a leading organiser and campaigner on reproductive rights, workplace equality and women’s political representation.
She helped establish the National Women’s Political Caucus and co-founded the Ms. magazine, which became a major platform for feminist writing and reporting after its launch in the early 1970s. Steinem also helped found the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Women’s Media Center. ([gloriasteinem.com](https://www.gloriasteinem.com/about?utm_source=openai))
Her journalism appeared in publications including New York Magazine, Esquire, The New York Times and Cosmopolitan. Her work helped bring issues including sexuality, abortion rights and discrimination into mainstream political debate.
Barack Obama awarded Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States, in 2013. She continued to write and campaign into her later years, maintaining a public role in the fight for gender equality. ([gloriasteinem.com](https://www.gloriasteinem.com/about?utm_source=openai))
Tributes paid to Gloria Steinem
Hillary Clinton said Steinem had “pushed open doors not just for herself, but for literally millions of women behind her”, describing her as an optimist whose activism was rooted in a daily moral choice.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, paid tribute to Steinem as a “friend and mentor”, recalling their public campaigning and private friendship. Oprah Winfrey said Steinem had left “with more freedom than she inherited” and urged future generations to continue expanding it for women and girls.
The statement announcing Steinem’s death said she had spent her recent years writing and gathering people around her. Her forthcoming memoir, An Unexpected Life, is due to be published later in September.
It also said Steinem had asked that people wishing to honour her donate to Gloria’s Foundation rather than send flowers. Her New York home, which she had occupied for more than 50 years, is intended to continue as a centre for social justice movements. ([vogue.com](https://www.vogue.com/article/gloria-steinem-obituary?utm_source=openai))
