Gloria Steinem, influential feminist writer and activist, dies at 92
Gloria Steinem, the US journalist and feminist organiser who helped bring women’s rights into mainstream political debate, has died at her New York home aged 92.
In short
- Gloria Steinem, the US journalist and feminist organiser who helped bring women’s rights into mainstream political debate, has died at her New York home aged 92.
Gloria Steinem, the US journalist and feminist organiser whose writing and activism helped move women’s rights into mainstream political debate, has died aged 92.
A statement published through Steinem’s official Instagram account said she died peacefully at her home in New York City surrounded by loved ones. The Guardian reported the announcement on September 3, 2026.
Steinem became nationally known after reporting undercover from a Playboy Club in 1963. She later wrote for New York magazine and co-founded Ms. magazine in 1971, using journalism, speeches and organising to advocate for reproductive rights and against discrimination and violence.
Her work extended beyond the US women’s movement. She supported civil rights, LGBTQ rights and anti-war campaigns, and was arrested in 1984 during a protest against apartheid outside the South African embassy in Washington.
Over a career spanning more than six decades, Steinem published nine books and remained politically active into her later years. Her public record also included positions she later revisited, including her response to sexual-harassment allegations against former US president Bill Clinton.
