Gloria Steinem, who shaped women’s equality, dies at 92
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Further tributes to Gloria Steinem have emerged, with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, describing the feminist icon as her "friend and mentor", while musician Patti Smith called her "the greatest". Jill and Joe Biden also paid respects, with the former first lady saying Steinem "understood that women's equality begins with the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies, health, and futures" and praising her courage in speaking out. These join earlier tributes led by Hillary Clinton, who hailed Steinem as "one of the architects of the entire structure of women's equality" following her death aged 92 at her New York home.
Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, called Steinem "a fearless trailblazer who transformed the fight for equality in America" whose advocacy "helped break down barriers and open doors once firmly closed to women". Clinton, speaking on CBS Mornings, said she was "heartsick" at the news and recalled first becoming aware of Steinem's activism in the 1960s and 70s, when women faced exclusion from schools, jobs and scholarships; she also noted Steinem's enduring optimism, recalling a conversation at her home last year despite Steinem's frustration with the current state of politics.
- Meghan Markle, Patti Smith and Jill Biden join tributes to Gloria Steinem
- Steinem, pioneering US feminist campaigner, died aged 92 in New York
- Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton also praised her decades of activism
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Gloria Steinem was one of the most prominent figures in the American women's movement from the 1960s onwards, known for her writing, activism and role in founding Ms. magazine, which helped bring feminist ideas to a mass audience. She campaigned on issues including workplace equality, reproductive rights and political representation for women, and became a widely recognised public face of the movement.
She died aged 92 at her home in New York, prompting tributes from a wide range of public figures, including senior US politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, and cultural figures including Meghan Markle and musician Patti Smith. Many of these tributes describe her influence on their own lives and on the broader struggle for women's rights in America.
The story matters because it marks the passing of someone widely regarded as a defining figure in the fight for gender equality, and the reaction to her death reflects her wide-ranging influence across politics, culture and public life over more than half a century.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Hillary Clinton leads tributes to Gloria Steinem: ‘Her activism was rooted in optimism’”.