Statement by National NOW President Kim Villanueva on the Passing of Gloria Steinem
WASHINGTON—Gloria Steinem was an outspoken, courageous, brilliant, and tenacious feminist warrior whose voice helped transform the women’s rights movement and whose commitment to equality inspired generations.
A journalist, writer, organizer, and movement leader, Gloria used her extraordinary platform to challenge the status quo, expose injustice, and bring women’s voices and experiences into the national conversation. She dedicated her life to fighting for women’s rights and expanding the possibilities of women’s lives worldwide.
Gloria understood that the personal is political, and the experiences women were told to endure in private were inseparable from the systems of power shaping their lives. In 1968, she bravely wrote about her own abortion, helping bring a deeply personal experience into the public conversation about reproductive freedom. She wrote, “I knew it was the first time I had taken responsibility for my own life. I wasn’t going to let things happen to me. I was going to direct my life.” And that is exactly what she did for the next 60 years.
For me, Gloria’s influence was deeply personal. As a writer and activist, I was inspired by her belief that words matter — that journalism could expose injustice, give voice to women’s experiences, challenge those in power, and help move people to action. She showed me that writing is not simply about telling stories; it can be an instrument for change. And she demonstrated, through a lifetime of activism, that finding your voice also means using it.
Her influence reached far beyond her own generation. Gloria helped give millions of women the power, courage, and conviction to challenge discrimination and demand equality. She understood, too, that lasting change is built collectively. “The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.”
Gloria Steinem inspired women everywhere and became a hero to generations of feminists. Her words, her journalism, and her activism helped change the course of American history. The movement she helped build lives on—in the millions who continue the fight for equality and in the generations who will carry it forward.
Rest in power, Ms. Steinem.