Gloria Steinem, the pioneering feminist activist and co‑founder of Ms. Magazine, died at 92, the foundation announced. Her death removes a central voice in U.S. gender‑equality advocacy and a symbol of second‑wave feminism that shaped decades of policy and cultural discourse.
Steinem’s foundation posted her death on Instagram, confirming she passed away Wednesday at her New York home. She was preparing a memoir for release this fall and had recently collaborated on a children’s book with Leymah Gbowee. In a 2015 interview she emphasized the need for in‑person empathy.
Her legacy endures through Ms. Magazine, the Ms. Foundation for Women, and decades of activism that helped shape reproductive rights, workplace equality, and intersectional feminism. Steinem received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 and remained publicly visible into her 90s, influencing new generations of leaders.