Gloria Steinem, feminist icon, dies aged 92
American feminist journalist and activist Gloria Steinem has died in New York at the age of 92.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Gloria Steinem, the American journalist and campaigner who became one of the most recognisable faces of the women's liberation movement, has died at the age of 92. She died in New York, surrounded by family and loved ones, according to a statement posted on her Instagram account.
Steinem rose to prominence in the 1960s after going undercover as a Playboy Bunny for a magazine investigation that exposed the low pay and poor treatment of women working in the clubs. She later wrote about the conditions, describing how customers treated the women and how little the job paid. That investigation helped launch her career as a writer and activist.
Throughout the 1970s and beyond, she campaigned for equal pay, for women's representation in politics, and for the right to abortion. She was a co-founder of Ms. magazine, and helped popularise the term "reproductive freedom". In 1957, she had an abortion while it was still illegal in the United States, an experience she later spoke about openly.
In 2013, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama, who said she "awakened a vast and often skeptical public to problems like domestic violence, a lack of affordable childcare, and unfair hiring practices." She saw the landmark Roe v Wade ruling, which granted a constitutional right to abortion in 1973, overturned in 2022, and continued to speak out against that reversal.
Tributes paid after her death included messages from Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and the Duchess of Sussex. Clinton said Steinem "pushed on those doors" for women, while Winfrey called her life and legacy extraordinary. Steinem continued working until her final days, giving interviews and speaking on issues such as violence against women and reproductive rights. She once said: "Feminism shouldn't need a name, and one day it won't."
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | Channel 4 | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Harald of Norway died at age 89 after being hospitalized; he had reigned for 35 years. | |||||
| Gloria Steinem died at the age of 92. | · | · | |||
| Gloria Steinem was a leading voice in the women's liberation movement from the 1970s. | · | · | |||
| King Harald was Europe's oldest living monarch. | · | · | |||
| Gloria Steinem coined the term 'reproductive freedom'. | · | · | · | ||
| Gloria Steinem was born in Ohio in 1934. | · | · | · | ||
| Gloria Steinem went undercover at a Playboy Club to report on working conditions. | · | · | · | ||
| Harald was taken to hospital for treatment for a rare blood condition. | · | · | · | ||
| King Charles sent condolences to the Norwegian royal family. | · | · | · | ||
| Scandals have tainted the royal family, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and her son's conviction for rape. | · | · | · | ||
| Gloria Steinem campaigned for Roe v. Wade, which was later reversed. | · | · | · | · | |
| Gloria Steinem promoted the Take Our Daughters to Work Day project. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Focused on Steinem as a leading voice in the US women's equality movement, highlighting her undercover Playboy Club investigation and her continued advocacy for reproductive rights. Included a 2023 BBC Newsnight interview in which she discussed patriarchy and control of women's bodies.
- “We, you and I have grown up in some form of patriarchy that says that even in the family, women are more responsible for taking care of infants and small children than men are, even though men are parents too.”
- “Clearly because we have a womb and men don't, the desire to control the womb is often the first or most lethal or most impactful kind of effort.”
Emphasised her role as a trailblazer, covering her undercover investigation, her fight for equal pay and abortion rights, her Medal of Freedom, and her response to the reversal of Roe v Wade. Included a quote from Steinem about setbacks and hope.
- “Over the years male-dominated legislatures and courts have tossed around women's rights like a political football.”
- “She awakened a vast and often skeptical public to problems like domestic violence a lack of affordable child Unfair hiring practices.”
- “One of the good things about having been around for a while is you remember when it was way worse. So no, I absolutely am hopeful.”
Focused on her impact, her undercover work, her illegal abortion in 1957, her later activism, and tributes from prominent figures including Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and the Duchess of Sussex. Stressed her broad legacy.
- “Feminism shouldn't need a name, she said, and one day it won't.”
- “The whole idea is that we make decisions for ourselves and the second big issue is having two jobs while men have only one because men are not yet caring for children as much as women are.”
- “I saw in my own life over the course of about 10 to 15 years, Gloria's pushing on those doors to finally get them open. Not only for her to walk through but for her to lead literally millions of others.”
Gave a brief summary, highlighting her as a powerful advocate for women's liberation, noting her work challenging sexist assumptions and promoting the Take Our Daughters to Work Day project.
- “She challenged sexist assumptions and helped women develop a sense of self-worth.”
Broadcast Timeline
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