Dharitri Ganguly
Gloria Marie Steinem, the renowned American journalist and social movement activist, passed away on Wednesday, September 2, at the age of 92, in New York. Gloria, emerged as a nationally recognised leader of the second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and who was particularly popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. Here are five things you need to know about her.
Gloria Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine
Gloria Steinem helped launch the first periodical founded and operated entirely by women, Ms. Magazine in 1972. This brought in a huge change bringing feminist perspectives into mainstream media.
Her career began with an undercover exposé
Gloria gained widespread attention in 1963 for writing A Bunny's Tale, an undercover article for Show magazine, which exposed the poor treatment and low pay of cocktail waitresses at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club. She was also the first-ever employee of Help! Magazine.
She shaped grassroots and political organisations
She, besides the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971 and the Women's Media Center, co-founded several major groups. These groups helped elect women to office and increased female representation in media. She was also the first woman to speak at the National Press Club of USA.
She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
In November 2013, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States. This recognised her decades of work fighting for social justice and equality.
Her style statement created a stir
Her signature look, streak-highlighted parted hair and aviator glasses, became instantly recognisable worldwide. She later noted that the glasses served as a way to maintain some privacy while in the public eye.
Gloria Steinem was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi
In the late 1950s, Steinem spent two years in India as a Chester Bowles Asian Fellow. She was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and would later model her campaign after Gandhi's independence movement.