Abstract

Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex remains one of the most influential feminist philosophical texts of the twentieth century marking a radical shift in the global understanding of gender womanhood and the construction of femininity. This research paper examines how Beauvoir systematically distinguishes between the “facts” and “myths” associated with women’s femininity arguing that femininity is not an essential biological destiny but a socially constructed identity historically imposed upon women. The analysis explores how patriarchal ideologies mold women’s lived experiences contributing to cultural religious psychological and economic narratives that define woman as “the Other.” By drawing from feminist theory existential philosophy and contemporary gender studies this paper evaluates Beauvoir’s claim that women are not born but are made and investigates how myths surrounding femininity perpetuate inequality. The paper also highlights the enduring relevance of Beauvoir’s insights in