A LETTER TO SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

By Tanya Chauhan ,BA Hons Political Science , 3rd Year

Edited and Designed by Mannat , BA Hons Psychology , 2nd Year

Dear Madame de Beauvoir ,

I have just finished reading your seminal work and it continues to echo within me, inspiringme to find my own voice. Oh my God ! I am truly amazed by your ideas! What anindomitable and extraordinary woman you are. When I first read your trailblazing work, “TheSecond Sex” it struck me so deeply that I couldn’t let it go.

You challenged the age-old notion that women are naturally inferior to men, showing thatgender inequality is a result of social conditioning rather than biology. Your main idea thatmen have always treated women as the “Other,” secondary and defined only in relation tomen remains powerful today. Men are seen as strong, active, and independent, whilewomen are viewed as passive, dependent, and incomplete. This unequal view limitswomen’s freedom and identity.

Your famous statement,

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,”

beautifully captures how womanhood is shaped by social expectations, norms, and culturalpractices. You revealed how girls are conditioned to accept passivity and dependence, andyou made me realize that biology can never be destiny.

Your life itself stands as a testament to intellectual freedom, equality, and independence.Thank you for being a guiding light, for showing that equality and freedom are worth fighting for. You are truly the woman of my dreams. your courage has left a spark within me. Your words will continue to resonate and empower generations to come.

Yours in awe and admiration,

A learner realizing how societal expectations can kill someone's dream