Author: Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem (1934–2026) was a writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist organizer, as well as a cofounder of Ms. magazine. For more than half a century, she was one of the most influential voices in the feminist movement, working for equality across gender, race, class and national boundaries.

‘At Last, We Know We Are Not Alone’: Gloria Steinem on Ms., the Feminist Movement and the Work Still Ahead

Gloria Steinem helped bring feminist ideas, voices and movements into the mainstream through journalism, organizing and activism—and helped build Ms. into what it remains today: not simply a magazine, but a movement. She continued working for equality until the end of her life.

“At the time that first issue [of Ms.] was published, there were local feminist publications here and in some other countries, but there was no national voice for those of us who had the radical idea that women are people,” Steinem wrote for Ms.’ 50th anniversary in 2022. “I didn’t know what the response would be, especially on newsstands, with no precedent or place for a women’s magazine that wasn’t about home, family and children.

“The response was shocking. … It sold out in eight days. … Soon, bags of mail began arriving in our offices—so many that there was room for little else.

“The letters were irresistible to read, personal notes or small novels, as if Ms. were a friend who had entered readers’ homes. One common theme was, ‘At last, I know I’m not alone.’ A movement is a contagion of truth telling: at last, we know we are not alone. …

“I won’t be around for the next 50 years, but you who are reading this may be. Imagining is the first step to creating. Let’s do it together!”

Her words feel especially resonant now: a reflection on what feminist movements inherit from one generation—and what each generation must carry forward.

Dolly Parton’s Unique Feminist Power, as Told by Gloria Steinem (January 1987)

(As the world mourns Dolly Parton, Ms. is revisiting Gloria Steinem’s tribute to the country music legend, originally published in the January 1987 issue, when Parton was named one of Ms. magazine’s Women of the Year. Steinem celebrated Parton not only as a gifted songwriter and magnetic performer, but as a shrewd businessperson who transformed femininity into a source of humor and power—and used her success to lift up working women, poor communities and the mountain people of her native Tennessee.)

If feminism means each of us finding our unique power, and helping other women do the same, Dolly Parton certainly has done both.

Her strength and capacity to dream seems to have been born into Dolly, as one of 12 children of a poor family in those mountains.

By the time she was 7, she was playing the guitar, reading books and dreaming of a world beyond the poverty and beauty of the Smoky Mountains.

By the time she was 10, she had coaxed support from her free-thinking mother, braved the opposition of her protective father, and earned her first public applause by singing before live audiences at a radio station in Knoxville. With that taste of success, she vowed to conquer the larger world beyond the mountains, but never to betray the country way of life that had nurtured her.

For Women Spending the Holidays in Prison or a Shelter, You Can Make a Difference

Women and girls are the fastest growing incarcerated population in the United States today. The women now in prison are often there because of circumstances that might have put you or me there, too. 

We at Ms. magazine want women in prison to know they are seen and valued. And because domestic violence shelters can be almost as isolating as prisons—and often lack reading material, just as many prisons do—we want to support women in those shelters, too. 

For a tax-deductible donation of just $30, you can help send Ms. to a woman in prison or a domestic violence shelter for a year. And for just $10 more ($40 total), you can get a year’s worth of Ms. for yourself as well.

Give the Gift of Ms. Magazine to Women in Prison and Domestic Violence Shelters

We send Ms. to 5,547 federal, state and county prisoners, and hundreds of shelters across the country. That’s a fraction of the total, but it’s a number we’re very proud of and hope to keep growing. Over the 19 years since this program’s birth, we’ve discovered that even this small gesture of recognition, support and information means a lot.

Ms. Magazine’s Prison and Domestic Violence Shelter Program: Let Women on the Inside Know They Are Not Alone

Women in prison often spend 17 hours a day isolated in their cells, with no reading material except the Bible, or with only books and magazines they must share with hundreds of other women. And this past year has seen reading bans inside prisons grow at a more concerning rate than those in public schools and libraries.

If you would like the deep satisfaction of knowing you’re a part of letting women know they’re not alone, please make a tax-deductible contribution to the Ms. Prison and Domestic Violence Shelter Program.

Share Ms. Magazine With Women in Prisons and Domestic Violence Shelters

We send Ms. to 5,418 women in federal, state and county prisons through the Ms. magazine Prison and Domestic Violence Shelter Program—funded by charitable contributions earmarked for this purpose, as well as Ms. community members who buy an extra membership and subscription for a friend they don’t know. Over the 18 years since this program’s birth, we’ve discovered that even this small gesture of recognition, support and information means a lot.

How to Send Ms. to Women in Prisons and Domestic Violence Shelters

How to Send Ms. to Women in Prisons and Domestic Violence Shelters

Out of sight should not mean out of mind and heart. But the tragedy for women in prison is that it often does. This invisibility keeps many from realizing how much women in prison may resemble them.

That’s why we started the Ms. magazine Prison and Domestic Violence Shelter Program. For a tax-deductible donation of $25, you can send Ms. to a woman in prison or a domestic violence shelter for a year. And for just $10 more ($35 total), you can get a year’s worth of Ms. for yourself as well.

Help Send Ms. to Women in Prisons and Domestic Violence Shelters

Help Send Ms. to Women in Prisons and Domestic Violence Shelters

The Ms. Prison and Domestic Violence Shelter Program lets women on the inside know they are not alone. Every American should be ashamed that this country puts a greater proportion of its citizens in prison than any other nation on earth, because of racism, sexism and also because in many states, the Prison Industrial Complex allows corporations to build and run prisons for profit.