WASHINGTON (September 3, 2026) – Gloria Steinem, the pioneering feminist, journalist and activist who helped shape the modern women’s rights movement, has died at 92. From her groundbreaking investigative journalism and co-founding of Ms. Magazine to her advocacy for reproductive rights, gender equality, and women’s political participation, Steinem became one of the most recognizable voices of second-wave feminism. Her death offers an opportunity to examine the evolution of the women’s movement, the issues she helped bring into the national conversation, and the lasting influence of her work on today’s fight for gender equality.
GW experts are available for commentary on the legacy Gloria Steinem leaves behind.
Imani Cheers is Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs. Cheers is an associate professor of digital storytelling. She is also the Director of Academic Adventures for Planet Forward. Her scholarly focus is on the intersection of women/girls, technology, health, conflict, agriculture, and the effects of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Cheers is also an expert on diversity in Hollywood, specifically the representation of Black women in television and film.
Sara Matthiesen is the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), and an Assistant Professor of History and WGSS. Professor Matthiesen's current project, tentatively titled "Free Abortion on Demand" after Roe: A Reproductive Justice History of Abortion Organizing in the United States, traces the multi-racial feminist activism that opposed state and medical control of abortion throughout the era of choice. Her academic work has been published in Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society and Feminist Review. Her popular writing can be found in The Boston Review, The Nation, The Chronicle of Higher Ed, Inside Higher Ed, and Spectre Journal.
To schedule an interview, please contact Skyler Sales at skylers
gwu [dot] edu (skylers[at]gwu[dot]edu).
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