Gloria Steinem

Feminist icon who redefined women's liberation through journalism and activism

As co-founder of Ms. Magazine in 1972, Gloria Steinem (born March 25, 1934) became the face of second-wave feminism. Her groundbreaking 1963 exposé "I Was a Playboy Bunny" revealed workplace sexism, while the 1969 article "After Black Power, Women's Liberation" galvanized the movement.

Steinem organized the National Women's Political Caucus (1971) and the historic 1977 National Women's Conference. She pioneered intersectional feminism by collaborating with Dorothy Pitman Hughes and Florynce Kennedy, addressing racism and classism within the movement.

From testifying before Congress for the Equal Rights Amendment to founding the Women's Media Center in 2005, Steinem's six-decade career reshaped American culture. Her 2015 memoir My Life on the Road became a New York Times bestseller, inspiring new generations through the Gloria Steinem Institute. At 89, she continues advocating for reproductive rights and against human trafficking.