Gloria Steinem's Take On Aging Is The Confidence Every Older Woman Deserves: 'By 60 You're Free Again'

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Gloria Steinem, who passed away on September 2, 2026, gave out countless nuggets of great advice throughout her incredible life, and her thoughts on aging were particularly inspiring. The feminist icon shared her take on growing older with NPR in 2015, stating, "Remember when you were 9 or 10 and you were this independent little girl climbing trees and saying, 'I know what I want, I know what I think'? That was before gender descended for most of us." She added, "Ironically, I found by 60 you're free again. So you're the same person you were at 9 or 10, only now you have your own apartment, you can reach the light switch, you hopefully have a little money. So you can do what you want."

Though there are multiple celebrities confronting aging with confidence, Steinem's words were particularly poignant. In a world that has long suggested women lose their value as they age and need to look a certain way to feel fulfilled, Steinem flipped that narrative. And she didn't just talk the talk either, she walked the walk. She refused to filter herself or her political beliefs, lose sight of her purpose, or embrace a quieter life as she got older. Just a few weeks before her death at 92, she opened up to The New York Times about her increased appreciation for the small things in life. She also kept writing; her memoir, "An Unexpected Life: A Memoir," is set to release at the end of this month.

Gloria Steinem spoke out about defying outdated opinions on aging and instilled confidence in older women more than once. At 90, the activist told actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her "Wiser Than Me" podcast, "I always think it would be great if an army of gray-haired women could take over the Earth. Well, then the Earth would be a safe place, in my view. It really would be. It would be much better."

This sentiment was echoed in her thoughts on cosmetic procedures. In an interview with People from 2017, the then-83-year-old shared that she was against using Botox, fillers, and plastic surgery to try and make herself look younger. Instead, she shared "I try to look like myself, does that make sense? I feel free and happy, and I like to look that way."

Steinem's powerful quotes on getting older gave hope to women around the world that life most certainly does not end at 60 — or any milestone age for that matter. If anything, it gets better thanks to the development of a more confident, free outlook. Aging wasn't Steinem's only area of deep wisdom either. She gave many other empowering quotes that will inspire you as a women who wouldn't let men stand in her way.