Source : the age
American journalist and second-wave feminism leader Gloria Steinem died at age 92 on Wednesday, according to a post on her official Instagram account.
“Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her,” the post read.
Steinem was a leading activist for the second-wave feminism movement in the late 1960s and 70s, which focused on sexuality, reproductive rights, and critiquing patriarchal social structures and institutions, among other issues.
Former US President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 for her work in the women’s liberation movement.
“Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” the post said.
Steinem also wrote and contributed to publications, including New York Magazine, Esquire, The New York Times, and Cosmopolitan, and co-founded the feminist magazine, Ms.
“She spent her recent years doing the two things she loved most: being in community with others and writing,” the post read.
“Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain. Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle.”
Among the tributes, former US secretary of state and former first lady Hillary Clinton said Steinem had “pushed open doors not just for herself, but for literally millions of women behind her”.
“Gloria Steinem was, at heart, an optimist. Her activism was rooted in optimism, and that’s a moral choice she made every day. Even though we’ve faced setbacks to women’s full participation and equality in America and around the world, I want Gloria’s voice to remain in our heads,” Clinton said in a post on social media.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, celebrated the life and legacy of Steinem, her “friend and mentor”.
“Publicly, we did interviews together, called young voters to encourage them to have their voices heard, attended award ceremonies, and brainstormed how to help this beautiful yet complicated world to become more equitable,” the tribute read.
“Privately, she was even better than you would imagine – spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counselling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivalled cheekiness and wit.”
Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1934.
Steinem’s forthcoming book, titled An Unexpected Life, is a memoir of her early life and her journey to activism. It is due to be released in late September.
The Instagram post announcing her passing shared a quote from the book: “I have now lived for more than fifty years in this brownstone, in rooms that have witnessed lives before mine, and will know others after I am gone.”
“This book, along with her commitment to her home becoming a centre for social justice movements, are among the many gifts Gloria has given the world with the hope they have ripple effects for generations to come,” the post said.
“In lieu of flowers, Gloria has asked that those wishing to honour her with a gift, may make a donation to Gloria’s Foundation.”
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