Known as one of the world's most important feminists and activists, Gloria Steinem's contributions will absolutely go down in history. She has dedicated her life to empowering women through both her writing and the organizations that she has founded. She currently works as a lecturer and public speaker. She has now reached the age of 84, but it seems like nothing can stop her!
Perhaps something that motivated Steinem was her experiences as a child. Though she experienced no physical abuse, she was neglected by both parents, due to a messy break up and her mother's mental illness. Her mother couldn't hold a job for very long, which inspired Steinem's ideas about hostility towards women in the workplace. Steinem also developed interesting ideas around discrimination against female patients after witnessing how her mother was treated by her doctors.