Gloria Steinem died Wednesday at age 92 in her New York City home. A statement on her official Instagram page confirmed the news on Thursday. She passed away peacefully surrounded by the many people who loved her.
Her team released a message noting her near-century on earth were years well-lived. The statement noted that she kept working for equality until the very end. It highlighted her ability to make others feel seen and heard.
“Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard,” the post read. People felt permitted to be their truest selves because of her words and actions. She lived true to her independent spirit with great curiosity.
Fox News reported that she spent her recent years doing the two things she loved most. Those activities were being in community with others and writing. The statement also mentioned her love for lighting signal fires on hills.
Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934. She founded New York and Ms. magazines during her long career. She also wrote several books including An Unexpected Life and My Life on the Road.
Per New York Post, she helped define the modern women’s movement. She co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Ms. Foundation for Women. Her work extended globally through groups like Equality Now.
She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2013. The biography on her website noted she also received the Freedom Award in 2019. Her home became a center for feminist thinkers from around the world.
Steinem battled breast cancer in the 1980s and a nerve condition in the 1990s. She did not marry until she was 66, when she wed David Bale in 2000. Just three years later in 2003, he died of brain lymphoma.
