Gloria Marie Steinem is a renowned feminist, activist, journalist, prolific writer, and editor of the 21st century. She is a pioneer leader of the movement against sexual inequality in America. She inspired many women to fight against social exploitation and violence through her feminist essays in various magazines and books.
In this article, we will highlight the key points of Gloria Steinem’s impact on gender norms and how she helped women break social barriers of inequality.
1. Who is Gloria Steinem?
Gloria Marie Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, United States, on 25th March 1934. When she was just ten years old, her parents got divorced, and she had to look after her mentally depressed mother alone in a messy home.
After completing high school, Gloria went to Smith College in Massachusetts and completed her graduation.
2. How She Started the Movement?
In 1956, after she graduated from Smith College in the subject of Government, Gloria went to India for two years to study as she got a Chester Bowles fellowship. In India, during her research work, she joined the non-violent movement against government policies.
Gloria started her career as a freelance writer and came to know publicly in 1963. That year she ran a sting operation as an undercover in a Playboy club in New York City. She explored their story in her article named “ I Was a Playboy Bunny” in Show magazine. This was the beginning of her journey. She goes right in the league of authors like Justine Cullen, and is admired for her role in women empowerment.
3. Feminist Movement and Gloria Steinem
In New York magazine, Gloria started writing about political and social issues, women’s liberation, and raising her voice to make abortion legal. At that time, she started to attend some demonstrations and protests.
In 1971, Gloria Steinem joined some eminent feminists of that time like Shirly Chisholm, Bella Abzug, and Betty Friedan, to create the ‘National Women’s Political Caucus.’ To promote multiracial, non-sexist children’s education, she started the ‘Women’s Action Alliance’ in the same year.
Steinem launched a feminist magazine “Ms.” to write about women’s issues and difficulties.
4. Criticism and Impact on Gender Norms
Some feminists like Redstockings criticize Gloria Steinem for her association with Independent Research Service. Questions were also raised about her glamorous image. But she didn’t stop; she continued the movement for women’s rights in her own style.
Gloria’s book “Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem”(1992) is criticized as a book of self-development only. Some people thought that there is no relation between the feminist movement with this book. However she explained the importance of growing inner strength for women.
Gloria Steinem’s theory of breaking the barrier was an immense impact on women worldwide. Gradually, they started to raise their voice to get justice against inequality and gender norms. They united themselves to eradicate these never-ending traditions and issues from society.
In her book, published in 1994, “Moving Beyond Words: Age, Rage, Sex, Power, Money, Muscles: Breaking Boundaries of Gender,” Gloria spoke about this impact.
At the age of 66, Gloria married prominent activist David Bale, and at the age of 22, she aborted herself. She proved that a woman has the right to make the decision to reproduce and live her life on her own.
Ending Thought
Summing up, Gloria Steinem is a leading name in the field of the feminist movement. Still, now she is busy with her activities in various countries, giving lectures and participating in conventions and seminars on the women’s rights movement. She is a living legend for establishing justice, freedom, and equality for all.
