Gloria Steinem Biography

Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, author, and journalist who played an influential role in the American feminist movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The leader and the spokesperson of the movement, her social activism helped in bringing about several significant changes in the western society. Steinem grew up witnessing first-hand the social injustices and inequalities faced by women as her mother was suffering from mental health issues but was denied the requisite social support she needed. Steinem attended the Smith College in Massachusetts, US and later spent two years in India. After her return to the US, she briefly and indirectly worked for the CIA before beginning her journalism career. She wrote articles for ‘Esquire,’ ‘Huntington Hartford,’ and ‘New York’ magazines. Steinem gained wide recognition after publishing an article titled ‘After Black Power, Women's Liberation’ in 1969. Having been involved in activism since 1959, when she organized the Independent Service for Information on the Vienna festival, advocating American participation in a Soviet-sponsored youth event, she has campaigned for Equal Rights Amendments and pro-choice activism, and against the Gulf War. In 1972, she co-established the feminist magazine ‘Ms.’ In 2005, she and her long-time friends Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan set up the Women's Media Center, an organization whose mission is “to make women visible and powerful in the media”. At present, Steinem is a world-renowned feminist icon and often serves as the keynote speaker at events organized on the subject.