Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women’s liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s. A prominent writer and political figure, Steinem has founded many organizations and projects and has been the recipient of many awards and honors. She was a columnist for New York magazine and co-founded Ms. magazine. In 1969, she published an article, “After Black Power, Women’s Liberation”, which, along with her early support of abortion rights, catapulted her to national fame as a feminist leader.
In 2005, Steinem worked alongside Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan to co-find the Women’s Media Center, an organization that works to amplify the voices of women in the media through advocacy, media and leadership training, and the creation of original content. Steinem currently serves on the board of the organization. She continues to involve herself in politics and media affairs as a commentator, writer, lecturer, and organizer, campaigning for candidates and reforms and publishing books and articles.
Steinem actively campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, in addition to other laws and social reforms that promoted equality between women and men, helping to strike down many long-standing sex discriminatory laws, such as those that gave men superior rights in marriage and denied women equal economic opportunities. She testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1970. She also founded and co-founded many groups, including the Women’s Action Alliance, on which she served as chair of the board throughout the 1970s; the NWPC, the Coalition of Labor Union Women; the Ms. Foundation for Women; Choice USA; and Women’s Media Center. From 1971 to 1975, she served on the Advisory Board of the Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective—one of the first NYC public based feminist theater groups.
In 1968, she signed the “War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
