For feminists, the deaths of Parton and Steinem days apart deliver a double dose of grief

Gloria Steinem and Dolly Parton, two influential figures in women's empowerment, died eight days apart in 2026, prompting widespread reflection on their legacies. Though they approached feminism differently, both embodied the core principle that women should possess the agency to make their own choices about personal and societal matters.

Steinem took an overtly political path, famously going undercover as a Playboy bunny to expose exploitation, founding Ms. Magazine, and dedicating her life to encouraging women's solidarity. Parton, by contrast, rejected the feminist label publicly while demonstrating feminist principles through her music, shrewd business practices, and tangible support for working women, poor communities, and her native Tennessee.

In 1987, Steinem recognized Parton as a feminist exemplar, writing that if feminism means finding one's unique power and helping other women do the same, then Parton had certainly achieved this. Ms. Magazine later noted that Steinem celebrated Parton not only as a performer but as a businesswoman who transformed femininity into a source of humor and power. Parton, however, maintained that she deliberately avoided politics and public political statements to preserve her broad fan base, though she acknowledged holding private opinions.