Gloria Steinem, a leading figure in the feminist movement of the late 1960s, died at age 92 on Wednesday.

Her activism began with the fight for abortion rights.

She saw this as central to women's equality.

That movement changed American culture.

It brought more women into the workforce.

Steinem lived to see a backlash against her vision.

In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

This ended the constitutional right to abortion.

Thirteen states have since banned abortion entirely or nearly so.

Steinem called this a setback for democracy.

Conservative activists celebrated the ruling.

They have pushed for traditional gender roles.

Trump administration officials and groups like the Heritage Foundation have encouraged young women to marry early.

They also want women to prioritize family over career.

Some, like analyst Emma Waters, have criticized feminism.

They say it promotes a career-first culture.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also shared a video.

In it, pastors said women should not vote.

Women's advocacy groups say these efforts aim to disempower women.

They propose policies like paid family leave and affordable child care.

These policies would support families without forcing women to give up careers.

Historian Estelle Freedman said feminism is deeply embedded in modern life.

She added that its momentum may be unstoppable.

In her final essay, Steinem wrote that older people must remind others how far the movement has come.