US feminist icon Gloria Steinem dies aged 92

Gloria Steinem, the American writer and activist who became one of the most influential voices in the women’s rights movement, has died at the age of 92.

Steinem died on Wednesday at her home in New York City, according to a statement from her foundation. The cause of death was not disclosed.

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She was one of the leading figures of the US feminist movement for more than six decades and campaigned for gender equality, reproductive rights and other civil rights.

Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine in the early 1970s and helped establish several organisations, including the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Women’s Media Center.

She first gained wide public attention in 1963 after working undercover as a Playboy Bunny for 11 days. Her investigation, published as “A Bunny’s Tale”, exposed the poor pay and treatment of women working at the Playboy Club.

The experience helped establish her reputation as an investigative journalist and later as a leading feminist activist.

Steinem continued campaigning for women’s rights throughout her life, becoming a familiar figure at rallies, universities and community events across the United States.

In 2013, then-President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States.

Her work and life inspired generations of women, although she also faced criticism and disagreements within the wider feminist movement.

In recent years, Steinem remained active in community discussions and continued writing. She had completed a memoir that is expected to be published posthumously.

Her death marks the end of the life of one of the most recognisable figures in the modern US women’s rights movement.