Gloria Steinem, pioneering feminist writer and activist, dies at 92

Gloria Steinem, the pioneering feminist writer, journalist and activist who became one of the most recognisable voices of the women’s rights movement in the United States, has died at the age of 92.

Steinem died peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by people close to her, according to a statement posted on her official Instagram account. The statement said she continued working for equality until the end of her life. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.

Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine in the early 1970s, helping establish a national publication devoted to women’s issues at a time when debates over gender discrimination, reproductive rights and equality in the workplace were increasingly entering the American mainstream.

She also became known for a style of journalism that placed her directly inside the experiences she was reporting. In 1963, Steinem worked undercover as a Playboy Bunny at a New York City club and wrote about the working conditions she encountered. The investigation helped establish her reputation as an investigative journalist.

Alongside her journalism, Steinem helped organise political and social movements focused on women’s rights. She became one of the leading advocates of the Equal Rights Amendment, reproductive freedom and equality for all.

Her work made her one of the defining figures of the U.S. women’s rights movement.

By Tamilla Hasanova