On Sept. 2, 2026, journalist, leader and feminist Gloria Steinem died, surrounded by her loved ones at her home in New York City. She was 92 years old, and the cause of death has not been shared by her family.
“I never really knew who she was until she passed away,” sophomore Olivia Bolling said. “But I can tell she had a huge impact on the women’s rights movement,”
Gloria Marie Steinem, born March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio, to parents Ruth and Leo Steinem, spent most of her childhood traveling across the country and living in a trailer for her father’s work. When her parents divorced in 1944, Gloria was left to take care of her mentally ill mother by herself. She attended Smith College in Massachusetts before spending two years in India on a fellowship where she was inspired by the nonviolent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
“Her story is inspirational,” senior Stella Ramelot said. “I admire her care for others and her hard work to rise above her situation.”
Later, she moved to New York City and wrote for several magazines before gaining attention for her “I Was a Playboy Bunny” undercover report of the harsh conditions of the waitresses at the Playboy Club for Show magazine. She co-founded the New York magazine and Ms. magazine, the first national American feminist magazine, and became a prominent supporter of women’s rights, campaigning for the Equal Rights Amendment and speaking out in support of women’s reproductive rights.
“I was inspired by her work always. She stood as an activist in support of equality for women and had an impressive history of journalism,” art teacher Rachel McIntire said. “I saw her speak a few times, and she was very powerful, as well as an honest and clear speaker. She spent her whole life fighting for women’s reproductive rights.”
She became a major symbol of the women’s equal rights movement, and her legacy has had a lasting impact on today’s world. At an all-girls school like Convent, students and faculty should be conscious and supportive of those who are fighting for women’s empowerment and rights so that we can help to make the world a fairer and more pleasant place. Gloria Steinem will be missed, but her tremendous impact on today’s world will not go unnoticed.
“I read The New York Times article about her, and I’m grateful that she did what she did because otherwise the world would be a much different place,” Bolling said. “I hope women everywhere can recognize her contribution and participate in this movement as well.”
