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“One is not born a woman but becomes one”
– Simone de Beauvoir
What do you understand by this statement, keeping the situations faced by women in past, in mind? Do you agree? Do you think that this quote still stands correct, in current political scenario?
‘One is not born women but becomes the one’ highlights the idea that gender identity is shaped by societal influences rather than being solely determined by biology.
Following points illustrate this idea:
1). Socialization through family: Gender-specific roles through young age, girls are traditionally taught household chores while boys are not. Even while travelling by roads one can witness posters in some parts of India saying ” PADAOGEY NAHI BETIYAN TOH KAUN BANAYEGA ROTIYAN” which means if you do not educate your daughter than who will make chapattis .
2). Educational Influence: Textbooks in school activities often depict women in nurturing roles (e.g., mothers, teachers) and men in leadership roles, shaping children’s perceptions of gender roles.
3). Media Representation: Popular films under pan India level be it KGF, RRR, all seem to be setting the standards of being the ideal men and women in this films are seen as mere extensions of the hero, deeply tied to him and his cause. They are waiting to be rescued and yenning to be acknowledge.
4).Cultural practices: Festivals like Raksha Bandhan where sisters tie rakhis on their brothers’ wrists reinforce the idea that women need male protection, perpetuating traditional gender roles.
5).Workforce participation : women are often encouraged to focus on domestic duties.
However, as we can see things are slowly changing through:
While traditional societal norms have long shaped gender roles world wide, there is a growing recognition and movement towards gender equality and empowerment, signified by progressive policies and changing cultural attitudes.
One is not born a women, but becomes one
We can look at this quote in many ways,
According to me, it holds good today also, not just about women, we also hear it about men, that there’s a lots of difference between men and gentlemen man.
A strong women should always take stands for her, represent her role perfectly in society, fight for her rights along with carrying her role in the society. The concept of feminism is what prevailing these days along with this we hear about pseudo feminist, who influence society in negative way. So this proves that it depends on a choice of once how they impact the society, I feel a women is the epitome of strength, patience, hardwork, and perseverance. A real women works towards betterment of society and gives a good message. So this justifies the real definition of woman.
The female body, from the moment of its creation, embodies the “other”. It symbolises the inferior “second” Sex, pitted against the universal standard of perfect male body.
So, the proclamation “One is not born a woman but becomes one” stood in direct contradiction to the Zeitgeist of biological determinism. Through this, Simone de Beauvoir drew attention to one integral process associated with the development of an individual: socialisation that forms the basis of who we are and how we identify the self and the other.
Here, the distinction between sex and gender takes primacy. Sex-the identity solely ascribed through anatomy- comes to be associated with a societal standard of expressing it. This social construct is gender. Being a woman is then about playing the part of what the society expects someone with a female body to act like. Subtle and not so subtle cues indoctrinate the ideal of womanhood: she is subservient, compassionate, emotional, dependent and so on. Then, being born a woman is a reality that never comes to be, for it is the influence of those around us that one becomes a woman. This holds relevance in the contemporary patriarchal society as well.
Simon De Beauvoir was a French philosopher and feminist. Beauvoir mentions this quote in her Magnum Opus book ‘The ‘Second Sex’ published in 1949. The work discusses the myriad of women-centric issues, inspiring equality and liberation of women from the shackles of economic dependency.
Beauvoir traces the status of women from beginning till modern times through the methods of historical materialism and research. This refers to the influence of social and economic conditions on shaping the history and fortunes of women. The statement stands as the most historic argument for challenging the patriarchal code. By claiming “One is not born a woman; one becomes a woman, she argues that a woman is not born; she is gradually shaped by social and cultural factors. Her upbringing in certain parameters leads her to the process of ‘becoming’ a woman. Women acquire their roles from men and other members of society; biology has no role in this. Hence, womanhood is something that is attained by a woman rather than something innate.
Beauvior’s stance also contributes to gender studies in questioning the construction of gender identity. The main issue lies in the social and physiological conditioning of women, which psychologically forces her to subscribe to her assigned ‘role’ as a woman.
Physiological and social conditioning, both classical and operant, leads to changes in behavioural alterations in one’s identity. A woman is conditioned by her physiology, by virtue of her ability to bear children and by society. This is determined by conglomeration of external and internal agents, such as her father and teacher, in her milieu. She is also conditioned by societal expectations, rules, and treatment by institutions in both favorable and unfavorable ways. The expectations of society, regulations, and the favorable and negative treatment she receives from institutional or structural entities all condition her. This obligation leads to internalization of patriarchy by women further enhancing female subjugation. In present times, where women have united in raising their voice against all kinds of patriarchal-structural violences, it stands as a relevant argument to decipher the process of women’s identity formation, who are now dismantling the traditional norms and standards.