Gloria Steinem: A voice for women, until the end

Following the news of his death, UN News revisits key moments from Ms. Steinem’s appearance at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2016, when she brought her message about violence against women to the global stage.

In her landmark speech ten years ago, the pioneering activist warned that violence against women cannot be separated from questions of peace, security and democracy.

“The single most important element or determinant of whether a country commits violence within its own country or whether it is willing to use military violence against another country is not poverty, not access to natural resources, not religion or even the level of democracy. It is violence against women.”

‘This is a worldwide problem’

Steinem cited many forms of violence against women, from sexual violence in war – to human trafficking, female genital mutilation (FGM) and violence in the home.

He also spoke about the consequences of a culture that prioritizes boys over girls, and its long-term impact on society.

“This is not a women’s issue…Hello. This is not a child’s problem. This is a world problem.”

Violence against women remains a global public health and human rights problem.

According to latest data from the gender equality body UN WomenAn estimated 840 million women – nearly one in three – have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lives.

Legacy and inspiration

Ending violence against women and girls is critical to global efforts to achieve gender equality and equality Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For Ms. Steinem, the treatment of women reflects the image of the society in which they live.

“The easiest way to find out how democratic and peaceful a group is is to see: whether there are women there and how they are treated?”

Inequality challenges a lifetime

Ms. Steinem became one of the best-known figures of the feminist movement in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.

She helped highlight issues including reproductive rights, discrimination, political representation and violence against women – bringing these issues into the mainstream. He is also one of the founders M.S. magazine and worked with a generation of activists seeking greater equality.

Hope for humanity

Underlining that “each of us has a piece of knowledge, a solution, an insight, an understanding that will contribute to the whole”, he said that listening is key.

“You know, there’s nothing more important than listening to each other.”

In her final years, Ms. Steinem continued to write and bring people together, including at home in New York, creating regular “Talking Circles” – a tradition she wanted to continue beyond her lifetime, according to her family.

Story from the UN Archives: Gloria Steinem takes to the world stage to call out violence against women