'Empathy is the most radical of human emotions': Gloria Steinem's life in quotes

'Empathy is the most radical of human emotions': Gloria Steinem's life in quotes Witty, intelligent, tireless. Yet one quote, despite its enduring popularity, she had no role in creating. The line "women need men like fish need a bicycle" became synonymous with Steinem throughout her life, but its original author was Australian Irina Dunn. Much to her credit, Steinem usually corrected those who misattributed the quote. And, as it was, there was no shortage of inspiration from Steinem. As a second-wave feminist figure, the US advocate helped advance the cause of women worldwide. Her death has been met with tributes from leading women, including former US secretary of state, Hilary Clinton. "Gloria Steinem pushed open doors not just for herself, but for literally millions of women behind her," Ms Clinton said. Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to be US house speaker, called Steinem "a fearless trailblazer who transformed the fight for equality in America and inspired generations of women to know their power". Here's a lifetime of advocacy, in her own words: 'A liberated woman is one who has sex before marriage and a job after' In the 1930s America Steinem was born into, women usually assumed one role: housewife. Women were expected to marry, have children and build their lives around the home. Rarely could they experience the same sexual freedom as men, and rarer still did they get the chance to pursue careers of their own. Much of Steinem's early feminism was rooted in her upbringing. Her parents separated when she was 11, following which Steinem lived with and took care of her mother, who had a mental breakdown and suffered from depression. The experience shaped Steinem's belief that marriage robbed women of choices and many of their civil rights. "I'd already been the very small parent of a very big child, my mother. I didn't want to end up taking care of someone else," she explained. 'The truth will set you free, but first it will p*** you off' Steinem often called herself a serial optimist. However, that philosophy didn't come without its hard truths. In a 1970 commencement speech at Vassar College, Steinem reiterated that humanism, as she also described feminism, depended on shaking off America's "old, expensive patterns of elitism, racism, and violence". "The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn," she said. "We are filled with the popular wisdom of several centuries just past, and we are terrified to give it up." 'A woman reading Playboy feels a little like a Jew reading a Nazi manual' Steinem's journalism career began with an exposé on one of the era's biggest magazine founders. Her series, A Bunny's Tale, targeted Hugh Hefner's Playboy, which at the time reached a million readers a month. Though Hefner preached sexual liberation, Steinem laid bare the reality of working as a Playboy bunny — a job she took on undercover for 11 days. The article detailed the poor pay and sexist treatment Playboy bunnies endured. And when Hefner tried to confront Steinem, as he did here in 1970, Steinem concluded: "What Playboy doesn't know about women could fill a book." 'A pedestal is as much a prison as any small, confined space' With trademark aviators, long locks and '70s style to boot, Steinem's image lit up conversation as much as her words. It was a dynamic she constantly bristled against. "Nobody ever called me beautiful until I was publicly a feminist, and that was in my mid-30s," she told AP in a 2011 interview. "It was clear that label was being assigned to me. "The most hurtful part is that you work very hard, and people say it's because of your looks." In her later years, she celebrated ageing and the wisdom that came with it. "Ageing as a time of freedom and reward is probably a bit of a revolutionary idea for women since we've been so corralled into the time of reproduction and raising kids," she told comedian Julia-Louis Dreyfus in 2024. "There's freedom and humour and rebellion and all kinds of great things waiting." 'Empathy is the most radical of human emotions' Steinem's fight for equality didn't stop with the US. She worked as a legal clerk in India, fought to end genital mutilation worldwide, and worked with initiatives across South Africa, Brazil and the US to combat inequity and racism. She was often asked about her legacy and who might carry it forward. Her answer was simple. "People often ask me if I'm 'passing the torch'," she wrote in Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. "I explain that I'm keeping my torch, thank you very much — and I'm using it to light the torches of others." 'Don't agonise. Organise' In more recent years, Steinem advocated for women's rights as they faced fresh challenges from America's institutions. The US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which had enshrined the right to abortion that Steinem had campaigned so fiercely for, was one such moment. "Banning abortions does not stop the need for them. It just bans their safety," she said. "Don't agonise. Organise." - Share options - Copy link - X (formerly Twitter)