Ark magazine

Gloria Steinem rose to fame after exposing the Playboy Club for sexism and bad working conditions in her 1963 undercover exposé, “A Bunny’s Tale.”

Using her platform, she protested for women’s rights, including workplace equality and safety, reproductive health, abortion rights, and financial freedom for women, soon becoming one of the leading faces of the second-wave feminist movement.

In 1971, she co-founded the iconic Ms. Magazine, which tackled pressing feminist issues such as domestic violence, sexual harassment in the workplace, and the unrealistic expectations of mothers, even reclaiming Superwoman as a feminist icon and presidential candidate.

Another chapter of her legacy was her involvement with a CIA front in the 1950s and 60s, called the Independent Research Service. The CIA funded the organization’s campaign, which used feminist themes to attract young people and counter Soviet influence at European festivals. The students involved were largely unaware of the agency’s role. Steinem acknowledged the CIA’s connection in later years, standing by her involvement.