Gloria Steinem, a trailblazing journalist and activist who devoted her life to fighting for women's rights, died on Wednesday at the age of 92. Her passing was announced in a statement posted on her Instagram account, which did not provide a cause of death. The post stated, "Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her."
Early Life and Education
Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934, Steinem graduated from Smith College in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in government studies. After completing her education, she spent two years in India on a fellowship, where she engaged with people organizing against caste violence and wrote for Indian publications. This experience significantly shaped her activism upon returning to the U.S.
Career Beginnings
Upon her return, Steinem briefly worked with a CIA-backed organization that sent American students to Soviet-sponsored youth festivals to promote pro-American principles. This involvement later became a point of contention for some feminists. Steinem defended her role, asserting that the CIA never attempted to alter the organization's policies.
In the 1960s, she became a freelance journalist in New York, a time when newsrooms were predominantly male and female reporters were often restricted to covering topics deemed suitable for women. "I and lots of women could not write about political subjects for the existing magazines," Steinem recalled in a 2020 interview with NPR. "We were thought to be the experts on, you know, food, makeup, babies and celebrities."
