Gloria Steinem, feminist icon and Ms Magazine co-founder, dies at 92

A statement shared said Steinem “passed away peacefully” surrounded by people who loved her

Gloria Steinem, the pioneering journalist, author and feminist activist who became one of the most influential figures in the American women's rights movement, has died at the age of 92.

Steinem died on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at her home in New York City. A statement shared through her official social media accounts said she “passed away peacefully” surrounded by people who loved her. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Steinem emerged as a prominent voice in the women's liberation movement during the 1960s and 1970s, using her work as a journalist to challenge sexism and bring issues affecting women into mainstream political and social conversations.

She became particularly well known following her 1963 undercover investigation of the Playboy Club, in which she worked as a Playboy Bunny and documented the treatment of female employees. The experience became one of the defining pieces of journalism of her early career.

In 1972, Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine, creating a publication that gave women a prominent platform to discuss issues including reproductive rights, workplace equality, domestic violence and political representation. The magazine became an important part of the second-wave feminist movement.

Beyond journalism, Steinem helped establish several organisations focused on advancing women's rights and political participation. She was among the founders of the National Women's Political Caucus and the Women's Action Alliance, and later helped establish the Women's Media Center.

Her activism extended to reproductive freedom, equal rights, racial equality and greater representation for women in politics and the media. She also became a prominent advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Steinem's influence continued across generations, with her work later being explored through books, documentaries and screen portrayals. Her life was dramatized in the 2020 film The Glorias, which starred Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Lulu Wilson and Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Steinem at different stages of her life.

In 2013, then-President Barack Obama awarded Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States, recognising her decades of advocacy for equality and women's rights.

Steinem remained active well into her 90s. In March 2026, she participated in an International Women's Day event at the New York Stock Exchange, continuing to publicly support the causes she had championed throughout her career.

Her death marks the passing of one of the most recognisable figures of modern feminism, whose journalism and activism helped reshape public conversations about gender equality and women's place in American society.