Today's women have almost dethroned the myth of femininity; they are starting to assert their independence in very specific ways; however, they do not easily experience their condition as human beings. Having been raised by women, within the confines of a female world, their natural destiny is marriage, which in reality still subjugates them to men; male dominance has far from been eradicated: it still relies on strong economic and social foundations. It is therefore necessary to carefully study the traditional fate of women. I will try to describe how women learn about their condition, how they experience it, in what kind of universe they are trapped, and what ways of escape they have. Only if all these become understandable, only then will we be able to understand the problems faced by women who, having inherited a heavy past, are trying to build a new future.

Simone de Beauvoir

"The Second Sex" was published in 1949 and became the ultimate reference work of the feminist movement. Sixty years later, while feminist utopia is fading as sexist perceptions and practices resurface in many parts of the world, "The Second Sex" deserves to be reread as a milestone in the history of the women's movement.