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Table of Contents
Gloria Steinem is an acclaimed American journalist, a pioneering feminist, and social political activist who played a key role during the women’s rights movement in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She was one of the founders of the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Women’s Action Alliance. She also co-founded Ms. magazine, which was the first recognized feminist magazine in the United States.
See the fact file below for more information on Gloria Steinem, or you can download our 24-page Gloria Steinem worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY
- Gloria Marie Steinem was born on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio.
- She was the second child and daughter of Leo Steinem, a Jewish son of immigrants from Germany and Poland, and Ruth Steinem, a Presbyterian mainly of German and Scottish descent.
- Throughout Steinem’s childhood, her family lived in a trailer because her father worked as a traveling antique dealer.
- Before Steinem was born, her mother had already been suffering from mental illness, which began with a nervous breakdown.
- Steinem’s parents divorced in 1944, which left her the responsibility to care for her mentally ill mother in Toledo.
EDUCATION
- After Steinem graduated high school, she finally sought the opportunity to leave Toledo and study at Smith College in Massachusetts.
- Her sister, Susanne, took Steinem’s place in taking care of their mother.
- At Smith College, Steinem studied government and graduated magna cum laude in 1956.
- Following graduation, she was granted the Chester Bowles Fellowship, which allowed her to study and carry out research work in India for two years.
- While participating in nonviolent protests against government policy during her stay in India, Steinem developed an interest in grassroots activism.
EARLY CAREER
- Upon returning to the United States, Steinem first worked for Independent Research Service, an organization later revealed to be funded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
- Steinem began working as a freelance journalist and writer for various publications in New York City.
- At the time, women were mostly assigned secretarial and assisting research roles in the newsroom, so Steinem would mainly write lifestyle features on what was called “women’s pages.”
- Determined to publish more “substantial” pieces, Steinem kept suggesting social and political stories to write.
- In 1963, she drew national attention for her article “I Was a Playboy Bunny,” a report on her personal experience as a waitress at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Club.
- She had to go undercover for the Playboy article which was published in Show magazine.
CAREER AS A POLITICAL JOURNALIST
- In 1968, she helped to found New York magazine, where she had worked as a political columnist, feature writer, and editor.
- For New York magazine, Steinem covered topics on social issues and progressive ideas, such as the women’s liberation movement.
- During a speak-out event in 1969, Steinem voiced her stand on legalizing abortion in the state of New York; she shared that at 22 years old, she had an abortion in London.
- Steinem regarded the speak-out as the start of her being an “active feminist.”
- From there, Steinem continued to engage and speak in protests and demonstrations in line with her feminist views and the women’s liberation movement at large.
- In 1972, Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine with journalists Patricia Carbine, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Mary Thom, Patricia Carbine, Joanne Edgar, Nina Finkelstein, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, and Mary Peacock.
- Starting off as a special one-off insert in New York magazine in December 1971, Ms. became a stand-alone magazine and published its first issue in January 1972.
- The debut issue was funded by Clay Felker, editor of the New York magazine.
- For the next fifteen years, Steinem served as an editor and writer for the feminist magazine.
- In 2001, Ms. magazine was sold to the Feminist Majority Foundation; Gloria is still part of the magazine’s advisory board.
- In 1969, her article “After Black Power, Women’s Liberation” cemented her national status as a feminist leader.
ACTIVISM AND LEADERSHIP
- In 1971, Steinem formed the National Women’s Political Caucus together with fellow prominent feminists, including Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, and Fannie Lou Hamer.
- The National Women’s Political Caucus is a multi-partisan grassroots organization that works to help and propel pro-equality women to hold positions in elected and appointed offices at all levels of government.
- Also in 1971, Steinem co-founded the Women’s Action Alliance which created a network of support for feminist activists and championed feminist initiatives and legislation until the organization’s dissolution in 1997 due to lack of funding.
- She played a major role in the founding of the following organizations:
- Choice USA (now URGE) provides support for young pro-choice leaders and works to preserve comprehensive sex education in schools.
- Voters for Choice is a pro-choice political action committee.
- Ms. Foundation for Women funds and supports grassroots efforts championing women’s empowerment.
- Women Against Pornography is a radical group that was crucial to the anti-pornography movement during the late 1970s and early 1980s
- The Women’s Media Center advocates for the inclusion of women’s voices in media.
- The Coalition of Labor Union Women is a non-partisan organization of women trade unionists.
PERSONAL LIFE
- In 1986, Steinem was diagnosed with breast cancer, from which she recovered with treatment.
- In 1994, she was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, a condition characterized by sharp sudden facial pain.
- Despite her long-time insistence that she would not get married, Gloria wed David Bale, an environmental and animal rights activist, in 2000.
- In 2013, Steinem was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- In 2015, her memoir My Life on the Road was released.
- In 2016, she hosted the TV documentary Woman with Gloria Steinem, a series that put a spotlight on women’s issues.
- She also wrote essay collections, such as Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (1983) and Moving Beyond Words: Age, Rage, Sex, Power, Money, Muscles: Breaking the Boundaries of Gender (1994); Revolution from Within (1992); and Marilyn: Norma Jean (1997), a book about American icon Marilyn Monroe.
- She currently lives in New York City, USA.
Gloria Steinem Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Gloria Steinem across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Gloria Steinem, who is an acclaimed American journalist, a pioneering feminist, and social-political activist who played a key role during the women’s rights movement in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Gloria Steinem Facts
- Steinem’s Biography
- Career Events
- Feminist Quotes
- Famous Feminists
- True or False?
- Name The Organization
- What Would Gloria Say?
- Women’s Rights
- A Letter to Gloria
- A Step Forward
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gloria Steinem known for?
Gloria Steinem is a woman who has been fighting for women’s rights since the 1950s. She started many organizations to help women have the same rights as men. In 2013, she was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom because she significantly changed society.
How did Gloria Steinem get her start as a political activist?
After earning her degree from Smith College, Gloria Steinem’s voyage to India on a Chester Bowles fellowship promoted an eagerness for grassroots activism. In 1960 she relocated to New York City and started actively engaging in politics by voicing her beliefs through columns and other publications.
Who is Gloria Steinem, and why is she significant?
The renowned Gloria Steinem is a passionate writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer who earned national attention for her leadership in the fight for women’s rights.
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