G loria Marie Steinem (1934 - ) said, “If the shoe doesn’t fit, must we change the foot?” This thread runs through her life as an activist and change agent, dedicated to fashioning a world that does fit the needs of its people.

Steinem’s lifelong career as a writer, journalist, and activist for women’s equality began after college. As a co-founder of New York magazine in 1968, Steinem was always active in a wide array of political and social causes. She became a major feminist leader in the late 1960s, and in 1971 co-founded Ms. Magazine where she serves as contributing editor today.

In 1971 she was a co-convener of the National Women’s Political Caucus, and in 1972 she helped found the Ms. Foundation for Women, which raises funds to assist underprivileged girls and women. Steinem is a founding member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and her books are often bestsellers.

Steinem’s lifelong activism has inspired women of all ages to fight for their rights, to take risks, and to defend the rights of others. Her writings form a lasting legacy of ideas and personal revelation that continues to inspire and inform. Steinem co-founded the Women’s Media Center in 2005—an organization that works to make women visible and powerful in the media. She has received many awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 from President Barack Obama.

Biography provided by the National Women’s Hall of Fame