Later in life, Gloria Steinem found herself free of the 'demands of gender'

Feminist writer and activist Gloria Steinem dedicated her life to advocating for women and girls. She passed away on September 2 at the age of 92. In a 2005 essay for "This I Believe," Steinem reflected on the unique core self that every human being is born with, shaped by environment and heredity.

In the latter part of her life, Steinem shared with Terry Gross that she had entered a new phase, one free of the "demands of gender" that she faced from adolescence. In a 2015 Fresh Air interview, she recalled:

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"Remember when you were 9 or 10 and you were this independent little girl climbing trees and saying, 'I know what I want, I know what I think'? That was before gender descended for most of us."

Steinem noted that by the age of 60, she felt free again, describing it as returning to the independence of her youth, but with the advantages of adulthood:

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"So you're the same person you were at 9 or 10, only now you have your own apartment, you can reach the light switch, you hopefully have a little money. So you can do what you want."

For over half a century, Steinem was a prominent voice and face of women's liberation. In 1971, she co-founded Ms., the first national magazine dedicated to feminist voices. That same year, she also co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus, which advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment and encouraged women to run for public office.