Gloria Steinem Dies at 92
Published on September 02, 2026
A Feminist Icon
In 1957 at the age of 22 Gloria Steinem found herself in London, pregnant and alone. She prevailed on a London physician, Dr. Sharpe, to give her an abortion. He agreed at considerable personal risk, asking only: “You must promise me two things. First, you will not tell anyone my name. Second, you will do what you want to do with your life.” In her 2022 memoir Steinem wrote this “Dear Dr. Sharpe, I believe you, who knew the law was unjust, would not mind if I
say this so long after your death: I’ve done the best I could with my life.”
As Jill Filopovic writes in her encomium to Gloria Steinem, it’s the countless women who deserve the chance Gloria Steinem had, to “shape their lives according to their own desires.
That is fundamentally what the feminist movement, and the reproductive rights movement, fights for.” Gloria Steinem helped launch the movement to fight for those rights. To read about her life and accomplishments, click below.