Gloria Steinem, the pioneering American journalist, writer and feminist activist who became one of the defining voices of the women’s liberation movement, has died at the age of 92.
Steinem died on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, her foundation announced the following day. She spent more than five decades campaigning for gender equality, reproductive rights and greater opportunities for women, becoming a prominent figure in the second-wave feminist movement in the United States.
Her death has prompted tributes from political leaders, activists and entertainers who credit her with helping reshape conversations around women’s rights and equality.
Steinem became a national figure during the late 1960s and 1970s as she challenged social and political systems that limited women’s choices. Through journalism, public speaking and political organising, she pushed issues including abortion rights, equal pay, domestic violence and women’s representation into mainstream political debate.
Before becoming one of America’s most recognisable feminist activists, Steinem established herself as a journalist.
One of her most notable assignments came in 1963 when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny at the Playboy Club in New York. She spent 11 days working at the club before publishing “A Bunny’s Tale,” a two-part investigation for Show magazine.
The investigation exposed the low pay, poor working conditions and sexist treatment experienced by women working at the club. The assignment helped establish Steinem as a journalist willing to use her reporting to expose discrimination against women.
Her journalism later became closely intertwined with her activism.
In 1968, she helped establish New York magazine and wrote about women’s liberation at a time when the feminist movement was rapidly gaining momentum.
Steinem later recalled attending an abortion speak-out in a New York church in 1969 as a turning point that pushed her more deeply into feminist activism.
In 1971, Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine, creating a publication that placed women’s rights and social issues at the centre of its journalism.
The magazine tackled subjects including abortion, sexism, equal pay and domestic violence at a time when mainstream publications aimed at women largely focused on beauty, cooking and domestic life.
Ms. quickly became an influential platform for the women’s movement and helped give feminist arguments a national audience.
Steinem also used the publication to challenge the stigma surrounding abortion. One early issue published the names of 52 women who had undergone abortions, including Steinem, and called for the procedure to be legalised ahead of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
She co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1971 alongside political figures and activists including Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm and Betty Friedan. The organisation sought to increase women’s participation in political life and support women seeking public office.
Over the years, Steinem also helped establish or support several organisations focused on women’s rights and social justice, including the Ms. Foundation for Women, Women’s Action Alliance, Women’s Media Center and Voters for Choice.
Her activism increasingly incorporated issues of race and social justice. Steinem frequently acknowledged the influence of Black women on her understanding of feminism and worked alongside women of colour throughout her career.
With her trademark aviator glasses and centre-parted hair, Steinem became one of the most recognisable faces of the feminist movement. Her influence extended beyond the United States as she travelled widely, lectured and worked with activists on issues affecting women and marginalised communities.
She also became a prolific author. Her books included Marilyn: Norma Jean, Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem and the 2015 memoir My Life on the Road.
In describing her approach to activism, Steinem once said she considered herself “an entrepreneur of social change.” She also emphasised the importance of listening to women’s experiences when seeking to empower them.
Her work eventually earned some of America’s highest honours.
In 2013, former U.S president Barack Obama awarded Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States, recognising her contribution to equality and social justice.
Following news of her death, tributes poured in from prominent figures who described her as a trailblazer, mentor and transformative force in the fight for women’s equality.
Former U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among those who honoured Steinem’s contribution to the women’s movement.
Actress and activist Jane Fonda, tennis legend Billie Jean King, writer and filmmaker Lena Dunham and actress Julianne Moore also joined the tributes.
Moore had a particularly close connection to Steinem after portraying her in the 2020 film The Glorias, which depicted different stages of Steinem’s life and activism.
Meghan Markle also remembered Steinem as a friend and mentor, highlighting the personal influence she had on younger generations of women.
Steinem remained active well into her later years, continuing to write, speak and participate in conversations about equality and social justice.
For more than half a century, Steinem challenged institutions and cultural expectations that restricted women’s choices.
Her work helped move women’s rights from the margins of public debate to the centre of American political and social discourse.
