Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem

Women's Activist &

Journalist

Pioneering Feminist

After finishing her degree in 1956, she received

a fellowship in India. She first worked for Independent Research Service and then established a career for herself. She chose to work as a freelance writer. She became more engaged in women's movement after reporting an abortion hearing by the running group known as the Redstockings. She expressed her ideas in an essay called "After Black Power, Women's Liberation." In 1971, she joined other groups that were trying to do the same thing. As her public image continued to rise, she faced criticism from other feminists, including the Redstockings. Others questioned here and her commitment because of her glamorous image. She continued to work on her goals, even after everything that people said to her or about her.

Early Life

Achievements

In 1971, Gloria joined other feminists. They became the National Women's Political Caucus, which worked to get women equal rights as men. In 1986 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was cured in the same year and continued to work. She still lives today, dong what she does.

Gloria Steinem was born on March 25, 1934 in Toledo, Ohio.

She traveled a lot. She would go to Michigan for most of the year, but in the Winter, she would go to Florida or California. This stopped her from going to school on a regular basis until she was 11.

This was around the time when her parents divorced. She had to take care of her mother, Ruth, who suffered from mental illness. She spent 6 months taking care of her ill mother in a run-down house in Ohio.

Around this time Gloria left for college. She decided that she didn't want to get married.

Education

Gloria Steinem

In an interview for People Magazine she was quoted as saying "In the 1950s, once you are married you became what your husband was, so it seemed like the last choice you'd ever have…I'd already been the very small parent of a very big child—my mother. I didn't want to end up taking care of someone else."

At the age of 11, she finally went to school on a daily basis. During this time, she had to help her suffering mother. Gloria attended Smith College where she learned government, but she did not want to do what everyone else at the time was doing. Gloria was not interested in marriage or motherhood.

Who is Gloria Steinem and why is she so important? Gloria Steinem changed the way women saw themselves in the 1950's and 1960's, a time when being a stay-at-home mom was the "norm".

She is an important figure in history because she broke barriers and brought the topic of equal rights for women to the forefront making Americans a little nervous about "girl-power".

Conclusion

This is the life of Gloria Steinem. A feminist, a journalist, a women's rights spokeswoman. She still lives today at the age of 80, working on what she worked on years ago. There is a video of her at work in circle number 6. Thank you for listening.