“But why didn't you leave? Why didn't you take my sister and go to New York?" she would say it didn't matter, that she was lucky to have my sister and me. If I pressed hard enough, she would add, "If I'd left, you never would have been born." I never had the courage to say: But you would have been born instead.”

American feminist activist and journalist, 1934–present Steinem is best known for her role as a leading figure in the women’s liberation movement, co-founding *Ms.* magazine in 1972 and advocating for reproductive rights, workplace equality, and political representation. Her essays and public speaking have shaped modern feminist discourse, blending activism with accessible, incisive commentary.