GLORIA STEINEM, THE legendary feminist activist, has died aged 92.

A statement on her Instagram account has said that the journalist died “peacefully” at her home in New York City.

“Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” the post said.

Before becoming a leading figure in the women’s rights movement, Steinem got her start in journalism in the 1960s and wrote an exposé on the pervasive sexism faced by cocktail waitresses at New York’s Playboy Club.

She credited her feminist awakening to a 1969 meeting at which women spoke up about the experience of having abortions, and she moved from writing to public speaking.

She spent decades of her life travelling across the United States and the world, attending conferences and protests.

In the 1970s, Steinem founded Ms. Magazine and the National Women’s Political Caucus, and organised the first National Women’s Conference in Houston.

“Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard… Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humour,” her foundation said.

With reporting by AFP