American journalist and feminist activist Gloria Steinem has died “peacefully” aged 92.
Steinem died on Wednesday at her home in New York City “surrounded by some of the many who loved her”, a statement shared on her Instagram account said.
Known as one of the trailblazers behind America’s feminist movement, she advocated and campaigned for a number of issues including equal pay rights and the legalisation of abortions.
The post, which featured a photograph of Steinem, said: “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end.
“Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard.
“Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humour.”
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Steinem began her career as a freelance journalist in New York City and first gained prominence in 1963 after going undercover as a Playboy Bunny.
The expose for Show magazine revealed the working conditions at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Club and the sexist and underpaid life of the bunny/waitresses.
Despite making a name for herself, Steinem was still not taken seriously by the heavily male-dominated newsroom.
She went on to write as a columnist for New York magazine where she reported on political campaigns and progressive social issues including the women’s liberation movement.
A crucial moment in her advocacy came in 1969 when she spoke out about her own experience of having an abortion when she was 22 years old at an awareness rally.
She quickly became the face of the women’s liberation movement and second-wave feminism – advocating for reproductive rights among many other causes throughout the 60s and 70s.
Steinem also founded the Women’s Action Alliance alongside Brenda Feigen and Dorothy Pitman-Hughes in 1971, a US organisation which supported grassroots activism to fight against sex discrimination.
In 1972, she co-founded Ms magazine – the first magazine owned, run and written by women.
The groundbreaking magazine published stories that broke away from the mainstream tales concerned with homemaking, parenting or beauty.
Steinem helped co-found the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) in 1971, a multi-partisan grassroots organisation dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process at a national and state level.
She also played an influential role in the movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1972 which prohibited sex discrimination.
Steinem gave a powerful testimony in May 1970 and told the Senate: “During 12 years of working for a living, I have experienced much of the legal and social discrimination reserved for women in this country.
“I have been refused service in public restaurants, ordered out of public gathering places, and turned away from apartment rentals; all for the clearly-stated, sole reason that I am a woman.
“I have been excluded from professional groups, writing assignments on so-called “unfeminine” subjects such as politics, full participation in the Democratic Party, jury duty, and even from such small male privileges as discounts on airline fares.
“Most important to me, I have been denied a society in which women are encouraged, or even allowed to think of themselves as first-class citizens and responsible human beings.”
Steinem was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour, in 2013 by former US president Barack Obama.
Tributes have started to pour in for the activist, including from actor Amy Schumer – who posted a black and white photograph of Steinem and said: “Walked the walk to her last day. Love to the coven of women who cared for her.
“My hero my sister my friend. Thank you Gloria.”
Actress and activist Jameela Jamil also paid tribute, recounting the last time she saw Steinem and how they sat for hours talking about the world in a room she moved into decades ago.
She added: “It wasn’t fancy, it was epic. Every inch filled with memories and moments of travels, friendship and political resistance. I was sitting on a floor that circles of women had occupied over the years, planning the liberation of all women.
“Gloria was a guiding light for me. She supported and encouraged me from the very first time she saw me give a speech about feminism.”
Athlete Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967, said she had lost “one of my biggest heroes” in a tribute on Instagram.
She said: “The world has lost a giant and women have lost one of our greatest leaders. I personally have lost one of my biggest heroes. Rest in peace dear Gloria Steinem, as you will inspire us forever.”
Gloria Steinem death: Pioneering voice of modern feminism, dies at 92
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