Born on March 25th 1934 in Ohio, Gloria Steinem led the feminist movement in the late 1960s and 1970s. She assisted in launching renowned magazines; she has published a large body of work as a writer and managed to beat breast cancer.
Early Years
As a child, she traveled a lot; she spent part of the year in Michigan and moved to Florida or California in the wintertime; she did not go to school regularly before the age of eleven. Around this time, her parents ended their marriage. Gloria needed to look after her mentally ill mother; she spent six years with her in a dilapidated house in Toledo. Then, she enrolled in Smith College, where she studied government, an unusual choice for women of that period.
Career and Feminist Work
After completing her studies in 1956, she received a fellowship to study in India. Initially, she was employed in Independent Research Service, and then she pursued a career as a freelance writer. One of her most well-known articles was a 1963 description of New York City’s Playboy Club for Show magazine; she went undercover, disguised as a ‘bunny’ at the club. In the late 1960s, she helped establish New York magazine. Her feminist opinions were voiced in essays such as ‘’After Black Power, Women’s Liberation.’’
In 1971, she and other important feminists founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, which worked for women’s issues. She also introduced the feminist magazine Ms. Its first issue came out in January 1972. It dealt with significant problems, such as domestic violence. She was criticized by other feminists because she had a connection with the Independent Research Service, which was supported by the CIA, and because she had become a sensational icon. In spite of this, she carried on working for women’s rights by publishing and setting up functions.
Challenges and Additional Contribution
In 1986, she was diagnosed with breast cancer; she managed to overcome her illness thanks to proper treatment. During this period, she also investigated the story of Marilyn Monroe in the book Marilyn: Norma Jean. In 1992, she published the book Revolution From Within: A Book of Self-Esteem. Some feminists criticized her for the emphasis on personal development; however, she insisted that the importance of self-authority should not be underrated. She also issued another collection, Moving Beyond Words: Age, Rage, Sex, Power, Money, Muscles: Breaking Boundaries of Gender in 1994.
In 2000, she married David Bale, an animal rights and environmental activist, and father of actor Christian Bale, even though she had emphatically stated that women do not need men. Her husband passed away three years later. She supports that now men should be equal at home; women should not be overburdened with two jobs, one at home and one outside it anymore. She has recently expressed her wish to remain an active social activist.
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