The journalist and activist, who co-founded Ms. magazine and became the most recognizable face of the US women’s movement, died peacefully at her New York home.
Gloria Steinem, the American journalist and activist who became one of the most visible symbols of the modern women’s movement, has died at the age of 92. She passed away on Wednesday at her home in New York City, according to an announcement posted on her foundation’s social media accounts.
Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine, spent more than six decades campaigning for women’s rights, reproductive freedom and gender equality, becoming a defining figure of both the second and third waves of American feminism.
WHAT HAPPENED?
According to a statement shared on Steinem’s and her foundation’s Instagram accounts, she died peacefully at her home, “surrounded by some of the many who loved her.” The statement read: “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end.”
Steinem first drew national attention as a journalist in 1963, when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny to expose poor pay and treatment in the role. She went on to co-found Ms. magazine in 1972, one of the first US publications to focus on women’s rights and broader social issues rather than domestic or beauty content. She also helped establish the Women’s Action Alliance more than 50 years ago, an organization focused on combating sexism.
Throughout the 1970s, Steinem became one of the most prominent advocates for reproductive rights, having spoken publicly about undergoing an illegal abortion at the age of 22. She remained active in public life well into her 90s, continuing to speak, write and campaign on feminist causes. Her final memoir, titled “An Unexpected Life,” is expected to be published later this month.
WHAT OFFICIALS / SOURCES ARE SAYING
Steinem’s foundation said in its announcement that “Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard.”
Tributes have poured in from public figures and organizations across the world of politics, journalism and activism, with outlets including CNN, Al Jazeera, Axios and The Washington Post noting her decades-long role as the most recognizable face of the American women’s movement.
KEY FACTS
- Died: Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at her home in New York City
- Age: 92
- Known for: Co-founder of Ms. magazine (1972); prominent activist for women’s rights, reproductive freedom and equality
- Career start: Began as a journalist in New York, including a notable 1963 undercover investigation into working conditions for Playboy Bunnies
- Legacy work: Co-founded the Women’s Action Alliance; upcoming memoir “An Unexpected Life” due for publication this month
WHY THIS MATTERS
Steinem’s death marks the loss of one of the most influential figures in the history of the American feminist movement. Her decades of activism helped shape public debate on reproductive rights, workplace equality and sexual harassment, issues that remain politically significant today. Her passing is being marked internationally as a moment to reflect on the broader legacy of the women’s rights movement she helped define.
BACKGROUND
Steinem grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and later attended Smith College at a time, she said, when women were largely educated to become wives and mothers. She began her career as a journalist in New York before her landmark undercover Playboy Club investigation brought her national attention. She went on to become a leading public voice for feminism through the late 1960s and 1970s, working alongside other activists, including Black feminist organizer Dorothy Pitman Hughes, to broaden the movement’s focus on race and class alongside gender.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Steinem’s memoir, “An Unexpected Life,” is expected to be published later this month, offering a final first-person account of her decades of activism. Public memorials and tributes are expected in the coming days from organizations she was closely associated with, including Ms. magazine and the Ms. Foundation for Women.
LATEST UPDATE
Steinem’s death was confirmed on September 3 and has been widely reported by major international news outlets. Details of funeral or memorial arrangements had not been announced as of the latest reports.
