Gloria Steinem -- A Feminist Superhero

Gloria Marie Steinem (born March 25, 1934) is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist.

Rising to national prominence as a feminist leader in 1969, Steinem was a columnist at New York magazine in the 1960s and broke ground in 1963 with an investigative report of how the women of Playboy were treated, which was made into a 1985 movie, A Bunnys Tale. In the 1970s she became a leading political leader and one of the most important heads of the second-wave feminism, the womens rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1971, Steinem, along with other feminist leaders (including Betty Friedan, Fannie Lou Hamer, Myrlie Evers, and U.S. Representatives Shirley Chisholm and Bella Abzug) founded the National Women's Political Caucus. An influential co-convener of the Caucus, she delivered her memorable "Address to the Women of America." The next year Steinem became the founding editor and publisher of Ms. magazine, which brought feminist issues to the forefront and became the movement's most influential publication.

Steinem actively campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, in addition to other laws and social reforms that promoted equality including same-sex marriage. She also founded or co-founded many groups, including the Women's Action Alliance, the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the Women's Media Center, and Choice USA, and she is also a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[http://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=ZVQNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=km4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2107,5223052&dq=democratic+socialists+of+america+democratic-socialists-of-america&hl=en]

Today, Steinem is considered, along with Betty Friedan, the most important feminist reformer of the Second-Wave of the Women's Movement in the United States.

The 'National Womens Political Caucus' (NWPC) is a national bipartisan grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to increasing womens participation in the political process by recruiting, training, and supporting women who seek elected and appointed offices.About National Womens Political Caucus''

NWPC was founded in 1971 by Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, Betty Friedan, Myrlie Evers, several congresswomen, heads of national organizations, and others who shared the vision of gender equality including writer and journalist Letty Cottin Pogrebin. They established three main issues: reproductive freedom, affordable childcare, and passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Also important are addressing male?female income disparity in the United States and diversity at the decision-making levels.

The National Women's Political Caucus organizes campaign workshops across the country to teach the nuts and bolts of running a successful candidacy at all levels of government. The Caucus Political Planning Committee vets women candidates for endorsement and the political action committee raises money to support endorsed candidates with campaign contributions. The Caucus also offers workshops on political appointments and collaborates with other women's political organizations to promote good women candidates for gubernatorial and presidential appointments to key posts within the government.

NWPC has local caucuses in communities across the country to help identify candidates, needs and issues specific to their state or county.