On Sept. 2, Gloria Steinem passed away in her New York City home. The activist was 92 years old. One of the most influential leaders of the second-wave feminist movement, Steinem was also a prolific writer, editor and journalist. She founded Ms. magazine in 1971, the first major publication dedicated to championing women’s issues.

A day after her death, Steinem’s episode of “Famous Last Words” — the Netflix series dedicated to memorializing deceased cultural icons and sharing their parting words of wisdom — aired. So far, only three episodes have premiered: Jane Goodall, Eric Dane and now Steinem. 

The bulk of the show featured a private sit-down conversation between her and host Brad Falchuk, who is also the showrunner. At the end of the program, Falchuk left Steinem to say her goodbyes privately to viewers. 

Steinem began the interview downplaying her role in the fight for women’s liberation: “I hope I wasn’t the face of the feminist movement.” As a proponent of intersectionality, she recognized the different experiences women have based on their race, class and other social identifiers. Simply put, no label exists in a vacuum. Steinem believed that no one face — or type of face — should represent an entire collective. 

When asked how Steinem would like to be discussed after her passing, she said, “There was this person who tried to make the world a little more equal, compassionate, joyful, funny than it was when I showed up.” 

There’s no doubt that she did just that. 

Amid a particularly tough few weeks for celebrity deaths, Steinem’s loss is a painful reminder that even the most storied icons cannot outrun time. I found myself tearing up as she pondered her legacy on “Famous Last Words,” confronted with the fact that our idols are human, too. When I initially heard of her passing, I felt all too disconnected from the fight that Steinem started. Her death felt like losing the movement. 

My first formal introduction to Steinem was her 2015 memoir, “My Life on the Road.” I read the book when I was 13 and just beginning to immerse myself in feminism as a practice. The work was a moving yet highly accessible account of Steinem’s years organizing. 

I don’t think I even knew what an organizer was until I read “My Life on the Road.” The idea that someone could commit their entire livelihood to championing gender equality fundamentally altered my view of advocacy. Activism didn’t just consist of speeches and public appearances; it was grassroots impact. 

Steinem’s final essay, published in The New Yorker on Sept. 3, reaffirmed her lifelong commitment to equality — not just in the theoretical sense, but as a hopeful reality. 

“Standing up for your own full humanity is an example you can give to others. Bring equality into your workplace and home,” Steinem wrote. 

That is exactly how we should organize.

The feminist movement owes its staying power to the tenacity of activists like Steinem, who refused to back down when faced with obstacles. While it often feels like we’ve gone backward in the fight for gender equality, it’s important to remember where we started. 

According to Steinem, “When you’re lucky enough to have lived a long life, as I have done, your role as an older person is to remind us how far we have come.”

After all, we have seen progress from the era in which Steinem began organizing. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 57.3% of women currently work, compared to 43.4% when Ms. was founded. Today, abortion is outlawed in 13 states — a disheartening number, sure, but a marked decrease from pre-Roe, when 33 states enacted total bans. All wins, however small, should be celebrated. 

The New Yorker also ran a tribute authored by actress Emma Watson, who visited Steinem a month before her passing. Watson eloquently called on readers to follow in the path Steinem carved out. 

“If Gloria is leaving us, then some of us are going to have to get louder,” Watson wrote. 

Steinem did not live to see the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, the restoration of abortion rights or even equal pay in the United States. Don’t we owe it to her, someone who devoted her life to gender equality, to try and see through the future she spent 92 years envisioning? 

Her final essay closed with an inspiring call to action that speaks for itself. 

“Treat every woman as a full human being, an equal human being, whether that means encouraging your mother to do what she’s always dreamed of doing, or not expecting your girlfriend to cook you dinner. Only with actions from each of us will we see equality as a true fact of life,” Steinem wrote.

Fiona Feingold is a senior writing about women in the entertainment industry in her column, “Femininomenon,” which runs every other Friday.