Following study at Smith College, Gloria Steinem traveled in India, where her eyes were opened to political organizing and the importance of listening. Upon her return, she settled in New York City and began her journalism career with her “first serious assignment”: documenting the impact of the birth control pill on the social and professional lives of young women in “The Moral Disarmament of Betty Coed.”

As an activist, Steinem has dedicated her life to travel in order to give talks, to promote feminist causes, including the ERA, and to facilitate discussions amongst diverse groups. In the 1960s and 70s, she travelled to colleges, community centers, and other venues with speaking partners Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Margaret Sloan, and Florynce Kennedy.