A philosopher argued womanhood isn't something you're born with — it's something built

In 1949's The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir wrote: 'One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.' She argued femininity as society defines it is a role constructed through upbringing and culture, not a biological destiny — a claim that became foundational to later feminist and gender theory.

— Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex — 1949
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