Gloria Steinem, one of the most influential figures in the modern women's rights movement, died at 92 at her home in New York City. Her foundation shared the news on Instagram, saying she was surrounded by some of the many people who loved her. No cause of death was disclosed, and the organization asked that anyone wishing to honor her light a candle or consider a donation to her foundation, per her own wishes.
A life spent working for equality
Steinem became a prominent voice during the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and remained active for the rest of her life, hosting what she called Talking Circles in her own living room well into her later years. In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, crediting her with helping wake a broad and often skeptical public up to women's issues.
What her foundation said
In its statement, the foundation described Steinem's near century on earth as years well lived, saying she continued working for equality until the end. It called her greatest gift her ability to listen, to make other people feel seen and heard, and said her words and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. The statement noted she spent her final years doing what she loved most, being in community with others and writing, including work on a forthcoming book called An Unexpected Life. Her foundation said the Talking Circles tradition she built in her home will continue, describing her fondness for the idea of lighting signal fires on hilltops to guide others forward, and inviting people to light their own candle as part of that same circle.
A frequent voice in ELLE's pages
Steinem spoke with ELLE in several interviews over the years, reflecting at different points on how the culture around women's rights had shifted since she first became an activist, and on what she saw as the ongoing, generational work of the movement she helped build.