Gloria Steinem, the feminist activist who inspired a generation of women and fought for gender equality, has died at age 92.

Her foundation announced the news in a social media post Thursday morning, sharing that Steinem had “passed away peacefully” at her home in New York City the day before, surrounded by her loved ones.

“Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor,” the statement read.

“Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain. Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle.”

Steinem was a celebrated writer and magazine editor, who became the face of the women’s movement.

In the 1970s, Steinem co-founded a number of trailblazing initiatives, including the Women’s Action Alliance, a feminist organization dedicated to fighting sexism, Ms. magazine, a publication focusing on women’s issues, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a multi-partisan grassroots organization aimed at increasing women’s participation in the political process.

Steinem avidly campaigned for women’s reproductive rights and later supported the legalization of same-sex marriage. Much of her work centered on pushing for equal rights and pay for women.

“Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It’s about baking a new pie,” she wrote in a 2008 op-ed for the Los Angeles Times.

Steinem’s early years

Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, on March 25, 1934. The family moved a lot, somewhat due to her father’s profession as a traveling antiques dealer, and Steinem didn’t attend school full-time until she was around 12 years old. After her parents separated, Steinem lived with, and helped care for, her mother, who suffered from depression. 

In her 2015 memoir, My Life On The Road, Steinem credited her mother for influencing her journey to activism. 

“Depression is anger turned inward; thus women are twice as likely to be depressed,” she wrote. “My mother paid a high price for caring so much, yet being able to do so little about it. In this way, she led me toward an activist place where she herself could never go.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.