Gloria Steinem, the pioneering journalist and feminist activist who became one of the most important voices of the women’s rights movement, has died at the age of 92.
Steinem died on Wednesday at her home in New York City, according to a statement shared on her official Instagram account on Thursday. The statement said she died peacefully and was surrounded by people who loved her.
Her cause of death was not disclosed. Her representatives asked people who wanted to honour her memory to light a candle and make donations to Gloria’s Foundation charity. Her official statement said Steinem continued working for equality until the very end of her life. It described her as someone who lived with an independent spirit, curiosity and a strong sense of humour.
Gloria Steinem’s work for women’s rights
Over several decades, Steinem worked on issues including reproductive freedom, domestic violence, workplace discrimination and gender inequality. She became one of the most recognisable figures of the second-wave feminist movement that grew during the 1960s.
But before becoming a globally known feminist leader, Steinem made her name as a journalist. Her breakthrough came in 1963, when she went undercover inside Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Club.
Gloria Steinem’s Playboy investigation
Steinem worked as a Playboy Bunny cocktail waitress under a fake name and investigated what life was really like for women working at the famous clubs.
She used the name Marie for the assignment and lied about her age. She told Playboy that she was 24, even though she was actually four years older, according to the BBC.
How Gloria Steinem exposed Playboy
Steinem later published her investigation as “A Bunny’s Tale” in Show magazine. The article exposed what she described as the sexist and exploitative working conditions faced by Playboy Bunnies.
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Her reporting highlighted that the women were poorly paid despite the glamorous image associated with the Playboy brand. She also wrote about the physical demands of the job, including having to spend long hours in high heels and tight corsets.
Despite becoming one of the most famous feminist leaders in the world, Steinem came from a relatively modest and unusual background.
Gloria Steinem’s early life
She was born on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. She grew up with her older sister, Susanne, and their parents, Ruth and Leo. Her father worked as a travelling antiques salesman, and the family spent much of Steinem’s childhood moving around the country because of his work.
Steinem did not attend school regularly until she was 11 years old. Her parents later divorced, after which she moved back to Ohio with her mother. That unusual childhood was followed by a career that took her from journalism to national activism and eventually made her an international symbol of feminism.
Gloria Steinem’s legacy
Steinem’s legacy goes beyond the stories she wrote. She helped make women’s rights a major issue in American society and politics. For decades, she spoke out against unfair treatment of women. From going undercover at the Playboy Club to exposing discrimination at work and in society, Steinem used journalism to show the problems women faced and activism to fight for change.
She became one of the most well-known voices of American feminism and continued to support equality for many years. Gloria Steinem died at 92, leaving behind a lasting legacy in journalism, activism and the fight for women’s rights.
