Feminist icon Gloria Steinem dies at 92

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem dies at 92

Gloria Steinem, the pioneering journalist and activist who became one of the most visible symbols of the women’s movement in the United States, died Wednesday, September 2, 2026. She was 92.

Steinem passed away peacefully at her New York City home, according to statements posted to her foundation’s social media pages and her official Instagram account. She was surrounded by loved ones, the announcements said. While some reports indicate the Instagram announcement revealed her cause of death, other sources state that no cause was given.

"Gloria's greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard,"

Instagram post, Gloria Steinem's official page

Recognizable by her aviator glasses and streaked hair parted down the middle, Steinem spent decades traveling to community centers, college campuses, rallies, and marches. Her activism helped drive second-wave feminism in the late 1960s, contributing to systemic changes such as the legalization of abortion and the ability for women to apply for credit cards without a man’s signature.

Journalism and Early Activism

Steinem began her professional life as a journalist, writing for publications including Cosmopolitan and the New York Times. In 1963, she gained national recognition for an undercover assignment for Show magazine. Working as a "Playboy Bunny" at the New York Playboy Club, she exposed degrading and horrific working conditions for the women employed there. Though the piece was well-known, Steinem later expressed regret over the assignment.

Her trajectory shifted six years later during a "speak-out" where women spoke boldly in favor of abortion rights. Steinem, who had undergone a secret illegal abortion at age 22, credited that meeting as the beginning of her activism.

In 1969, she wrote the New York Magazine article After Black Power, Women's Liberation. By 1970, she was testifying before the Senate in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, which proposed that equality of rights under the law should not be denied based on sex. In 1971, she co-founded Ms. Magazine, the first national periodical run entirely by women, where she also served as an editor.

Public Life and Personal History

Despite her prominence, Steinem revealed she struggled with a deep fear of public speaking. She told the Associated Press in 2015 that she would have preferred to remain a writer, but because editors were unwilling to let her cover the women’s movement, she was forced into the public eye. So I ended up going out and speaking, which was my nightmare, she said.

Her early life was marked by instability. Born March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Steinem's mother and sister lived in a caravan while her father worked as a traveling salesman. She was unable to attend school full-time until she was 12. She later graduated from Smith College in 1956.

Steinem’s world view was shaped by time spent in India in the late 1950s, where she bonded with followers of Mahatma Gandhi. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, she also worked with the CIA and joined the Independence Research Service, a CIA-backed foundation that sent students to World Youth Festivals to cause disruption. Steinem was open about this association, describing the agency as liberal, nonviolent and honorable.

Later Years and Legacy

Steinem remained active well into her 80s, addressing global issues including Korean reconciliation and genital mutilation. In 2017, she served as an honorary co-chair and spoke at the Women’s March following the first inauguration of Donald Trump.

In her final years, she turned her New York home into a center for social justice movements, hosting "talking circles" for hundreds of people. She argued in a 2015 interview that empathy required being in the same room with others, stating, You can’t do it on the phone or on the web.

Her late-life contributions included:

• Collaborating at age 91 with Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee on the February 2026 picture book Rise, Girl, Rise: Our Sister-Friend Journey. Together for All.
• Appearing as the subject of the 2020 film The Glorias, A Life on The Road.
• Attending her first fashion show at age 83 as a guest of Prabal Gurung.

Steinem’s accolades included the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, the Society of Professional Journalists Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award, the National Gay Rights Advocates Award, and the United Nations' Society of Writers Award.

She was widowed in December 2003 following the death of her husband, David Bale, from brain lymphoma. She was a step-mother to four children, including actor Christian Bale.

Supporters have been asked to make donations to Gloria's Foundation or light a candle in her honor. Her memoir, An Unexpected Life, is scheduled for release on September 22.