How Gloria Steinem’s lifechanging stay in India shaped her approach to feminism

TL;DR

Gloria Steinem described her two years in India (1957-1958) as a "pivotal, life-dividing event" that "made me who I am."
Her travels provided an escape from a planned marriage and an early experience with illegal abortion, solidifying her belief in reproductive control for women's autonomy.
Upon arrival, she encountered Asian poverty, lived at Miranda House, and immersed herself in student life, adopting the sari as daily dress.
Steinem met key figures like Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and Indira Gandhi, and attended a Radical Humanist study camp, learning that "radical" means "going to the root."
Her travels, especially third-class train journeys with women and engagement with villagers after caste violence, taught her the importance of listening and understanding before offering solutions.
She connected her Indian experiences with feminist "consciousness-raising" groups and stated that her later organizing across America was "just a western version of walking in villages."
The cover of Ms. magazine's spring 1972 preview issue, featuring the Hindu goddess Kali, was inspired by her "Indian past."

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