Gloria Steinem, Feminist Leader and Journalist, Dies at 92

By Aurax Radio | September 3, 2026 | 2 min read

Gloria Steinem, a leading figure in the U.S. feminist movement and co-founder of Ms. magazine, has died at age 92. Her decades of journalism and activism helped bring women's rights, reproductive freedom and gender equality into mainstream political debate.

Gloria Steinem attending a public event in her later years.

Gloria Steinem continued advocating for gender equality and social justice into her 90s.

Steinem died Wednesday at her home in New York City, according to her foundation. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed. She became nationally known in the 1960s through journalism focused on women's experiences and emerged as one of the most recognizable leaders of second-wave feminism, a movement that challenged discrimination against women in employment, education, politics and other areas of American life.

In 1972, Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine, which became an influential platform for reporting and commentary on women's rights. She also helped establish the National Women's Political Caucus and other organizations focused on political participation, reproductive rights and women's representation in the media. Her activism extended beyond feminism to issues including civil rights, social justice and opposition to war, while her 1963 undercover reporting at a Playboy Club helped establish her reputation as a journalist willing to investigate workplace conditions affecting women.

Steinem remained active well into her 80s and 90s, continuing to write, speak publicly and participate in discussions about equality and social justice. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2013, the nation's highest civilian honor. Her death marks the passing of one of the most influential public figures associated with the women's rights movement of the late 20th century, while organizations and activists she helped establish continue work on issues she championed.

Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, CNN, BBC, National Women's History Museum and the Gloria Steinem Foundation.

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