Gloria Steinem, the American activist, journalist and author who became one of the most visible symbols of the feminist movement in the United States, has died at the age of 92. According to the reports carried by broadcasters, she passed away at her home in New York City on Wednesday, closing one of the most influential public lives of her generation.
Steinem was widely known for her work in galvanizing the feminist movement, and she was described as a leader and one of the most prominent spokespeople for the women's liberation movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Across those decades she came to be seen as one of the defining public faces of the campaign for women's rights in the country.
Alongside her activism, Steinem built a long career in journalism. She worked as a columnist for New York Magazine, and she was a co-founder of Ms. magazine, a publication closely associated with the women's movement. Her writing and her editorial work placed her at the centre of the debates that she helped to shape over many years.
Her contribution was formally recognised in the city she called home. In 2021 Steinem received a key to New York City in acknowledgement of her continued work, an honour that was presented to her at a public ceremony. The recognition underlined the lasting connection between Steinem and the city where she lived and worked for so long.
Speaking at that ceremony, Steinem reflected on her long association with New York. She said that she could not imagine living in another place and described the moment as a high point of what she called her very long life, thanking those who had gathered to honour her that day. Her words captured the deep affection she held for the city.
Even in her final period, Steinem remained a working author. Her latest memoir, titled An Unexpected Life, is reported to be set for release later this month. The forthcoming book means that her own account of her experiences is now due to reach readers only shortly after the news of her death was made public to the wider world.
Following the announcement, tributes began to pour in for Steinem, with those remembering her reflecting on the ground she had helped to secure for later generations of women. Her admirers were being asked to mark her passing by lighting a candle in her honour or by making a donation to her foundation in her memory.