Women Protection and Violence against Women & Islam

There is dire need to fully comprehend the issue of domestic violence. The traditional clergy opposes any thing which is not in line with their mindset. They quickly employ the declaration "Un Islamic". Members of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) have declared Women Protection Bill, which became law in Punjab recently, against the Islamic teachings.The CII met here under the chair of Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani.
They always emphasise that Quran is best explained through Sunnah of Prophet (pbuh), known as living Quran by the mother of believers Hazrat Ayesha (R.A). He never beat any one of his wives. Rather he said: “Could any of you beat his wife as he would beat a slave, and then lie with her in the evening?”(Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Sahih Bukhari;8.68 and Muslim).
There is need to look in to the matter deeply to be careful not to  be like scholars of the people of the book: "There are some among them who distort the Book by the way they speak to make you think that what they say is from the Book, whereas it is not. They say it is from God whereas it is not. Thus they tell a lie about God and they know it." (Quran;3:78) 

Domestic violence is very old menace, Arabs were no exception, and their maltreatment to women is a well known historic fact. They used to beat their women on small matters as it is still vogue in all the underdeveloped as well as the most developed societies of the world, where special laws have been made to discourage it. In the year 1995 in USA alone the lawmakers showed a heightened awareness of and sensitivity to domestic violence, with several states increasing penalties for abusers. New York enacted the omnibus Family Protection and Domestic Violence Act, and Maryland passed three new domestic-violence laws. Colorado passed five domestic-violence bills, including one that mandated arrest for the violation of a restraining order and jail time for a second offense. Virginia passed a number of laws with stiffer penalties for domestic violence, while Michigan had 14 new laws that would help in prevention and prosecution. This menace was handled in Islam objectively, by formulating the guidelines where by men can not resort to use of force against their wives as per their wish every now and then on minor matters. Allah says in Qur’an: “Men are overseers over women because Allah has given the one more strength than other, and because men are required to spend their wealth for the maintenance of women. Honorable women are, therefore, devoutly obedient and guard in the husband's absence what Allah require them to guard their husband's property and their own honor. As to those women from whom you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, first admonish them, then refuse to share your bed with them, and (and last) if necessary beat them (lightly); Then if they obey you, take no further actions against them and do not make excuses to punish them. Allah is Supremely Great and is aware of your actions.”(Qur’an;4:34). 
It is evident from many authentic Traditions that the Prophet himself intensely detested the idea of beating one’s wife and said on more than one occasion, “Could any of you beat his wife as he would beat a slave, and then lie with her in the evening?”(Sahih Bukhari;8.68 and Muslim). 
According to an other Tradition, he forbade the beating of any woman with the words, “Never beat God’s handmaidens”(Abu Dawood, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Ahmad inn Hambal, Ibn Hibban and Hakim, on the authority Ilyas ibn ‘Abd Allah; ibn Hibban, on the authority of ‘Abd Allah ibn Abbas; and Bayhaqi, on the authority of Umm Kulthum). When the above Qur’anic verse, authorizing the beating of a refractory wife was revealed, the Prophet is reported to have said: “I wanted one thing but God has willed another thing – and what God has willed must be best” (Manar V, 74). 

 With all this, he stipulated in his sermon the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, shortly before his death that, beating should be resorted to only if the wife “has become guilty, in an obvious manner, of immoral conduct”, and that it should be done “in such a way as not to cause pain (ghayar mubarrih)”; authentic Traditions to this effect are found in Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Nasa’I and Ibn Majah. 
On the basis of these Traditions, all the authorities stress that this “beating”, if resorted to at all, should be more or less symbolic – “with a toothbrush (muswak), or some  such thing” (Tibri, quoting the views of scholars of the earliest times), or even “with a folded handkerchief” (Razi); and some of the greatest Muslim scholars (e.g., Ash-Safi’i) are of the opinion that it is just barely permissible, and should preferably be avoided: and they justify this opinion by the Prophet’s personal feelings with regard to this problem. [Commentary by M.Asad]. 

 In case all the efforts fail the family council is recommended in the next verse: 

 “If you fear a breach of marriage between a man and his wife, appoint one arbiter from his family and another from hers; if they wish to reconcile, Allah will create a way of reconciliation between them. Allah is the Knowledgeable, Aware.”(Qur’an;4:35).

 Allah says: “You have indeed, in the life of Messenger of Allah, the 'Best Model' for him whose hope is in Allah and the Day of the Hereafter, and who engages himself much in the remembrance of Allah.”(Qur’an;33:21), “Obey Allah and obey His messenger;” (Qur’an;64:12). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not reported to have used force against his wives. In fact he has been very kind to them. Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: Habibah daughter of Sahl was the wife of Thabit ibn Qays Shimmas. He beat her and broke some of her part. So she came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) after morning, and complained to him against her husband. The Prophet (peace be upon him) called on Thabit ibn Qays and said (to him): Take a part of her property and separate yourself from her. He asked: Is that right, Apostle of Allah? He said: Yes. He said: I have given her two gardens of mine as a dower, and they are already in her possession. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Take them and separate yourself from her. (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith Number. 915). Narrated Laqit ibn Sabirah: Messenger of Allah, I have a wife who has something (wrong) in her tongue, i.e. she is insolent. He said: Then divorce her. I said: Messenger of Allah, she had company with me and I have children from her. He said: Then ask her (to obey you). If there is something good in her, she will do so (obey); and do not beat your wife as you beat your slave-girl. (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith Number. 72).
Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn Haydah: I said: Apostle of Allah, how should we approach our wives and how should we leave them? He replied: Approach your tilth when or how you will, give her (your wife) food when you take food, clothe when you clothe yourself, do not revile her face, and do not beat her. (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith Number. 878). 

 It may be reasonable to conclude that it is permissible (not compulsory,  undesirable) for the husband to use force lightly under extreme circumstance involving disloyalty and ill-conduct by his wife but only after fulfilling certain conditions i.e. first admonishing, then declining to share  bed with her. It is obvious that these are not abrupt or emotional acts but, rational and gradual actions which should result in corrective positive response from the wife. If she obeys, then it is forbidden to take any  further actions against her or to make excuses to punish, since the matter stands resolved. However if she does not improve her conduct, then the other option is divorce, but prior to it a light coercive action (just barely permissible, and should preferably be avoided) may save the marriage. It is obvious that any pious and sane woman will not create such conditions; she may desist during first two steps. The killing of women on suspicion of ill-conduct termed as ‘Honor Killing’ (karokari) prevalent in many societies is totally against teachings of Islam. 

  1. The Islamic Response to Domestic Violence — EthnoMed

    ethnomed.org › Clinical Topics › Domestic Violence‎

    "Under no circumstances is violence against women encouraged or allowed in Islam. There are many examples in Quran and Ahadith that describes the  ...

  1. HQ: Peace Conference 2009 - Women's Rights in Islam by Dr. Zakir Naik - Part 2/21 - YouTube

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_VPwY-ttlk‎

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    HQ: Peace Conference 2009 - Women's Rights inIslam by Dr. Zakir Naik - Part 2/21 ... the billion plus population of India, Dr. Zakir Naik was rankedNo. ... Shaikh Ahmed Deedat, Yusuf Estes, Yassir Fazaga, Yasir Qadhi, Dr.

  1. Muslim Women and Islam The Deen Show - YouTube

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Woman granted right of Divorce , Khula

There could be a situation where it is difficult to continue with the marriage, then the option of divorce is available to both husband and wife. If the matter persists resulting to the breach of marriage, use of council by arbitrator form family of woman and man is to be arranged for reconciliation: “If a women fears cruelty or desertion from her husband, there is no blame if both of them agree to reconcile by means of a compromise, after all compromise is better. Human souls are prone to narrow- mindedness, but if you show generosity and fear Allah in your dealings, surely Allah is well aware of your actions.”(Qur’an;4:128). The lawful but most undesirable act is divorce (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith Number. 893). The doors of reconciliation remain open for some time. Allah says: “Divorced women must keep themselves waiting for three menstrual periods; it is not lawful for them to hide what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. In such cases their husbands have a right to take them back in that period if they desire reconciliation. Women have rights similar to those exercised against them in an equitable manner, although men have a status (degree of responsibility) above them. Allah is Mighty, Wise.”(Qur’an;2:228).

 Maintenance Allowance for Divorced Women:

 Islam safeguards the interest of a divorcee woman, by making it obligatory for the provision of maintenance allowance, Allah says: “Reasonable provisions (maintenance allowance) must also be made for divorced women (till she remarries). That is an obligation upon those who fear Allah.”(Qur’an;2:241). “Let those women, during their waiting period ('Iddat), live where you yourselves live according to your means. You shall not harass them so as to make life intolerable for them. If they are pregnant, maintain them until their delivery: and if, after that, they suckle your offspring, compensate them and settle the matter of compensation with mutual consultation and in all fairness. But if you cannot bear with each other then let another woman suckle the baby for you. Let the rich man give according to his means, and the poor man give according to what Allah has given him. Allah does not charge a man with more than He has given him; soon Allah may bring ease after hardship.”( Qur’an;65:6-7).
Women Granted the Right to Divorce (Khula): 

 Islam granted the right of divorce to women 1400 years ago, once no woman could dream of this freedom. In the procedure for divorce by man, it was ensured that sufficient checks and balances are in built to avoid impulsive decision which may have to be regretted later. Allah says in Qur’an: “Pronouncement of revocable divorce is only allowed twice: then she should be allowed to stay with honor or let go with kindness after the third pronouncement. It is not lawful for husbands to take anything back which they have given them except when both parties fear that they may not be able to follow the limits set by Allah; then if you fear that they both will not be able to keep the limits of Allah, there is no blame if, by mutual agreement the wife compensates the husband to obtain divorce. These are the limits set by Allah; do not transgress them, and those who transgress the limits of Allah are the wrongdoers.”(Qur’an;2:229). 
Where divorce for mutual incompatibility is allowed, there is danger that the parties might act hastily, then repent, and again wish to separate.  To prevent such capricious action repeatedly, a limit is prescribed; two divorces (with reconciliation between) are allowed.  After that the parties must definitely make up their minds, either to dissolve their union permanently, or to live honourable lives together in mutual love and forbearance - to "hold together on equitable terms," neither party worrying the other nor grumbling or evading the duties and responsibilities of marriage. However If a separation is inevitable, the parties should not throw mud at each other, but recognize what is right and honourable on a consideration of all the circumstances. 
In any case a man is not allowed to ask back for any gifts or property he may have given to the wife. This is for the protection of the economically weaker sex.  Lest that protective provision itself work against the woman's freedom, an exception is made. All the prohibitions and limits prescribed are in the interest of good and honourable lives for both sides, and in the interests of a clean and honourable social life, without public or private scandals. If there is any fear that in safeguarding her economic rights, her very freedom of person may suffer, the husband refusing the dissolution of marriage, and perhaps treating her with cruelty, then, in such exceptional cases, it is permissible for the woman to seek divorce (Khula) but she has to return the dower she received form the husband at the time of marriage as she is breaking the contract.
A divorce of this kind is called Khula. Divorce is most undesirable act, narrated by Muharib :The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah did not make anything lawful more abominable to Him than divorce. (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith Number. 893). The women are free to marry any one else after divorce on completion of waiting period: “When you have divorced women and they have reached the end of their waiting period do not prevent them from marrying other men if they have come to an honorable agreement. This is enjoined on everyone amongst you who believes in Allah and the Last Day. This is more virtuous and chaste for you; Allah knows what you do not know.”(Qur’an;2:232)
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    Generally it is believed that in Islam the women are mistreated, their status is lower than men and they do not enjoy equal rights. Such negative perceptions has been created by the ignorant and enemies of Islam, after having failed in the ideological front,  however the cultural treatment meted to the women in some of the Muslim societies has provided the basis for such perception. 

    Before the advent of Islam the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity. A cursory look at that would highlight the respectable position granted to women by Islam. The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death. In the Greek Civilization, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman to the extent that they were considered impure, and they were bought and sold in marketplaces. 

    A woman could not refuse a husband chosen by her guardian and she could not disobey her husband in anyway. Later, they acquired a somewhat batter status, but they remained inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society. 

    When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans. Under the Roman Empire, women did not have the right to own anything. If a woman had any property of her own, it was automatically transferred to the ownership of the head of the family. Later, in the reign of Justinian (483-565 C.E), women were given the right to retain what they earned through their own work, but money from other sources (gift etc) remained with the head of family. 

    Christian Europe was influenced by notions that prevailed in the days of paganism about the status of women. Eve is considered responsible for the fall of Adam from grace indicated by word “Evil”. 

    As recently as 1805, the English law allowed the man to sell his wife. In the year 586 C.E that is when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was still a young man, the French elegies organized a convention in which they discussed whether women were human or not. They concluded that a woman was a human being created only to serve men. Even after the French Revolution, in the late 18th century, the French law continued to consider that an unmarried woman was totally unqualified to enter into any contract without the consent of her guardian. 

    The French law of the time stipulated that those who did not have legal status were "young boys, idiots and women.” The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil. Before the advent of Islam, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive. Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. If certain rights of woman are being ignored, restricted, or denied in present-day Islamic societies, it is the responsibility of the society which is not enforcing them, Islam cannot be blamed for it. The status of women in Islam is evident form the privileges granted to her.

     Quran mentions some Women:
    Mary (Maryam - مريم) is the only woman mentioned in the Qur'an by name . Female figures in the Qur'an are important characters and subjects of discussion in the stories and morals taught in Islam. Some of the women in the Qur'an are portrayed in a positive light, while others are condemned for their actions.  The others' names come from other traditions. Most of the women in the Quran are represented as either the mothers or wives of certain leaders and prophets. Women in the Quran retained an amount of autonomy from men in some respects; for example, the Quran describes women who converted to Islam before their husbands did, or women who took an independent oath of allegiance to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

    1 Eve
    2 Wives of Noah and Lot
    3 Daughters of Lots
    4 Sara (سارة), Wife of Abraham
    5 Aziz's Wife and the Ladies
    6 Mother and sister of Moses
    7 Wife of Moses
    8 Asiyah, Wife of the Pharaoh
    9 The Queen of Sheba (Bilqis)
    10 Wife of Imran
    11 Maryam (مريم)
    12 Wives Of Muhammad
    13 Daughters of Muhammad
    14 The woman who complained to Muhammad
    15 Wife of Abu Lahab "Umm Jamil bint Harb"

     This site aims to educate about honorable status of women in Islam with a view to remove misconceptions, under following topics: 
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    The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir - Classic Book Summary

    Simone de Beauvoir, the French existentialist and feminist philosopher, wrote, the book:: “The Second Sex”, in 1949 to investigate popular definitions of femininity. She concluded that those definitions had been used to suppress women, through the ages. Simone de Beauvoir at the age of 40, was the author of several well-received novels but "Le Deuxième sex" which became the bestseller from the start, and de Beauvoir found herself the most controversial woman in France. She began to realize that people saw her as Sartre’s inferior merely because she was female. When she sat down to write The Second Sex, she was surprised to find herself putting down the most essential fact of her existence: “I am a woman.” Although she relatively enjoyed privileged position – teaching career, university degree, movement in Parisian intellectual circles – de Beauvoir herself had never felt much of a sense of injustice or inequality.
    The Second Sex is not simply about the role of women in history or society, but about “Woman” as an archetype and philosophical category that is interchangeable with the idea of “Other.” This philosophical base raises the book above other feminist writing and makes it fascinating reading.


    The work spans 700 pages, difficult to summarize:
    Book One traces the history of women’s place in society from the bronze age to medieval times to modernity, including an analysis of the “myth of woman” through five authors: Henry de Montherlant, D.H. Lawrence, Paul Claudel, André Breton, and Stendhal.
    Book Two traces the situation of woman today, from childhood to sexual awakening, marriage to menopause, including portraits of woman as lover, narcissist, and mystic, before ending on a more upbeat note with a chapter on women’s independence.

    The Second Sex in short:
    1. One is not born a woman, but becomes one.” 
    2. For De Beauvoir, the views of individuals are socially and culturally produced. Femininity is not inherent – it is a construct that has been learned through socialisation – to keep men dominant. 
    3. De Beauvoir argued that women have historically been treated as inferior – and secondary – to men for three reasons. She explained that society teaches women – one, to fulfill a male’s needs and therefore exist in relation to men – and two, to follow external cues to seek validation of their worth. Her third point was that females have historically had far fewer legal rights, and therefore less public influence. 
    4. De Beauvoir uses a comparison – saying that a girl is ‘treated like a live doll’. 
    5. What did she mean? 
    6. A doll is a powerful means of identification. Through it, the girl learns to identify with the condition of being dressed up, made pretty and preened over – whilst not having any agency of her own. She learns to objectify herself – just as men objectify women. 
    7. The doll is submissive – its role is to be dressed up, listen to its owner’s secrets, comfort her when she is lonely and lie at home when she’s at school. 
    8. De Beauvoir argues that when the girl grows up, she will find herself in the same situation as her doll. As a woman, it will be her role to attract a husband with her beauty, and to maintain it to ensure he doesn’t stray, to quietly listen to his problems, and wait at home for him when he’s at work. 
    9. An accessory – be it plastic, or flesh and blood. 
    10. De Beauvoir stated that even if a woman didn’t marry, she would still be held to male standards – through external pressures such as the beauty, diet and fashion industries – which are all complicit in perpetuating the objectification of women. 
    11. To achieve liberation, De Beauvoir believed, women must recognise many of these ‘social norms’ as constructions. Only then will they have the freedom to escape their context and determine their own destiny. 
    12. Written against a backdrop of intense conservatism, The Second Sex was published just five years after French women had been granted the right to vote, at a time when few women worked. 
    13. De Beauvoir’s argument that ‘one is not born, but rather becomes a woman’ is still valid today. 
    ………………...
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    “One is not born a woman: one becomes a woman.”

    “The individual life history of woman – because she is still bound up in her female functions – depends in much greater degree than that of man upon her physiological destiny; and the curve of her destiny is much more uneven, more discontinuous, than the masculine curve.”
    The concept of “Other” helps us understand the position and power of women through history.
    Woman as Other
    The Second Sex is an attempt to answer the basic question “What is Woman?” – that is, as an archetype or category as opposed to women as individuals. Throughout history, men have differentiated and defined women in reference to themselves, rather than as beings in their own right. A person is a man, and no more explanation is necessary, while a woman must be described as a person of the female sex. The result, de Beauvoir says, is that woman is “the incidental, the inessential as opposed to the essential. He is the subject, he is Absolute – she is the Other.”
    The term “Other,” she notes, can be applied to any group in society that is not considered the “main” group. In Western civilization, for instance, white men are the “essential,” the “Absolute,” while any other kind of person, including women, Blacks, and Jews, have been – whether consciously or unconsciously – put in the Other basket. When a group in society is made inferior in this way, they become inferior through lost opportunities and debasement.
    Men do not feel that they have to justify themselves on any objective basis, but get their feeling of superiority from not being women. This results in the clichéd, although true, view that a women has to do twice as much to be seen as the equal of a man. Discrimination against women, de Beauvoir writes, is “a miraculous balm for those afflicted with an inferiority complex, and indeed no one is more arrogant toward women, more aggressive or scornful, than the man who is anxious about his virility.” Today we are familiar with such a truth, but imagine the affront that it caused in bourgeois France 60 years ago.
    De Beauvoir expresses her amazement that although women make up half of the human race, they can still be discriminated against. She observes that in democracies men like to say that they see women as equal (or democracy would be a lie), but their attitudes on many levels tell a different story.

    Is biology destiny?

    De Beauvoir goes back to the earliest conceptions of biology to show how science itself served to reduce the power and potency of the female in favor of the male. In conception, for instance, the passivity of the female was contrasted with the “active principle” of male sperm, which was thought to determine all the characteristics of the newborn. Yet in conception, de Beauvoir notes, neither male or female gamete is superior to the other; rather, they both lose their individuality when the egg is fertilized.
    The burden of the continuity of life is still a female one, and given the energy and time required for this the female’s possibilities are severely restricted, because “the woman is adapted to the needs of the egg rather than to her own requirements.” From puberty to menopause, she is at the mercy of a body changing itself according to reproductive needs, and must put up with a monthly reminder of this. In pregnancy in the early stages, vomiting and loss of appetite “signalize the revolt of the organism against the invading species.” Many a woman’s maladies do not stem from external threats, but from dealing with her own, often problematic reproductive system. Moreover, the more intense emotionality of women is related to irregularities in secretions in the endocrine system, which have an effect on the nervous system. Many of these traits, de Beauvoir points out, “originate in woman’s subordination to the species.” In contrast, “the male seems infinitely favoured: his sexual life is not in opposition to his existence as a person, and biologically it runs an even course, without crises and generally without mishap.” Though women tend to live longer than men, they are ill more often, and overall are less in control of their bodies – their bodies control them. However, menopause can bring liberation, as a woman is no longer determined or judged according to the childbearing function.
    While a woman’s biological features are therefore the key to understanding her situation in life, de Beauvoir optimistically says, “I deny that they establish for her a fixed and inevitable destiny.” Biology is not reason enough for male/female inequality, nor grounds for woman being cast as “Other,” and a female’s physicality does not condemn her to remain subordinate. Moreover, while animals can be studied as static organisms, it is much harder to make assessments of people as male or female human beings, since our sex does not define us in the way it does other animals. In many physical respects a woman is less rugged than a man, so ostensibly her projects and prospects are more limited, but, drawing on Heidegger, Sartre, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, de Beauvoir notes that “the body is not a thing, it is a situation.” When viewed in this way, women’s prospects may be different to men’s, but no more limited. What is more, many of women’s “weaknesses” are such only in the context of male ends. Physical inferiority, for instance, becomes meaningless if there is an absence of violence and wars. If society is different, so the evaluation of physical attributes changes.
    Becoming woman
    Book Two contains de Beauvoir’s famous comment that “one is not born but rather becomes a woman.” In childhood there is no difference between the sexes in terms of what they are capable of. Differentiation begins when boys are told of their superiority and how they need to prepare for the difficult, heroic path ahead. While pride in his sex is pointed out to a boy by adults, the girl’s sexual anatomy does not receive the same reverence. Urinating also produces a sexual difference: for the boy it is a game, but for the girl a shameful and inconvenient procedure. Even if a girl has no “penis envy,” the presence of an organ that can be seen and grasped helps a boy to identify himself and it becomes a kind of alter ego. For the girl it is the doll that becomes the alter ego. There is really no “maternal instinct,” de Beauvoir argues, but through play with the doll the girl ascertains that the care of children falls on the mother, and “thus her vocation is powerfully impressed upon her.”
    Yet when she becomes mature, a girl realizes that it is no privilege to be the mother, as men control the world. This revelation helps her to understand that a father’s life has a “mysterious prestige.” When sexual awakening occurs, boys are aggressive and grasping, whereas for the girl it is often a case of fraught “waiting” (“She is waiting Man”). Since time immemorial, Woman has looked to the male for fulfillment and escape, so girls learn that to please they must abdicate their power and independence.
    Woman’s character, de Beauvoir concludes, is molded by her situation. Women are not socially independent but form part of groups governed and defined by men. Any club or social service they set up is still within the framework of the masculine universe. “Many of the faults for which women are reproached – mediocrity, laziness, frivolity, servility,” de Beauvoir points out, “simply express the fact that their horizon is closed.”

    Woman and myth

    Since women have rarely seen themselves as protagonists, there are not many female myths like those of Hercules or Prometheus. Women’s mythical roles are always secondary; they dream the dreams of Man. Man has created myths around woman and all myths have helped to reiterate that woman is the inessential; he has revolted against the fact that he is born from a woman’s womb and will also die. Since birth is tied to death, Woman condemns man to finitude.
    Women have also been seen as sorceresses and enchantresses who cast a spell on man. Man both fears and desires Woman. He loves her as she is his, but he fears her as she remains the “Other”; it is this Other whom he wishes to make his. Like man, woman is endowed with spirit and mind, but “she belongs to nature and so appears as a mediatrix between the individual and the cosmos.” Christianity spiritualized Woman, assigning to her beauty, warmth, intimacy, and the role of pity and tenderness. She was no longer tangible and her mystery deepened. Woman is man’s muse, and also a judge who pronounces on the value of his enterprises. She is a prize to be won, the dream within which all other dreams are enfolded. On the positive side, Woman has always inspired Man to exceed his own limits.

    Conclusion

    What would de Beauvoir make of today’s gender landscape? Particularly in richer and freer countries, many women feel that The Second Sex is outdated, that equality is real, or at least that the gaps in equality are bridgeable, and that girls have futures every bit as bright as boys. However, in countries where misogyny rules, and sexual inequality is written into laws and expressed in custom, de Beauvoir’s book remains a potential bombshell, revealing much about the real motives of men.
    The book has been criticized for being too anecdotal and circular, for not being a “proper” work of philosophy, but this in itself can be seen as a subtle attack on the author’s gender by right-brained, system-building male philosophers. Indeed, that de Beauvoir is often overlooked as a philosopher only proves her point that it is mostly men who end up writing the history of disciplines – and it is not surprising that they focus first on the contributions of their own sex.
    Many of de Beauvoir’s assertions have been overtaken by science. The fact is that we are not blank slates in terms of gender, but are born with certain behavioral tendencies whether we are male or female. Conditioning is definitely real, as she pointed out, yet it is not the whole story, and we will only be able to counter the limitations put on women by also understanding the biological differences. The more we know about our bodies and brains, the less biology will be destiny.
    If you are female, reading The Second Sex will remind you of the progress made for women in the last 60 years. If you are male, it will help you gain a greater understanding of the slightly different universe that woman inhabit, even today.
    Simone de Beauvoir
    De Beauvoir was born in 1908 in Paris. Her father was a legal secretary. Her mother was a devout Catholic and she was sent to a prestigious convent school. In her childhood she was very religious and considered becoming a nun, but by studying philosophy at the Sorbonne, she wrote a thesis on Leibniz. In a national exam that ranked students, she came second only to Jean-Paul Sartre (whom she had already met) and was also the youngest person ever to pass. Her relationship with Sartre influenced her first novel, She Came to Stay, published in 1943.
    De Beauvoir taught philosophy at the Lycée Pierre-Corneille in Rouen, where her friend the feminist Collette Audry also taught. In 1947 she was sent by the French government to the United States to give university lectures on contemporary French literature. In the same year she wrote her popular essay on French existentialism, “The Ethics of Ambiguity.” She traveled widely and wrote several travel diaries about her journeys through China, Italy, and America, which she visited several times.
    De Beauvoir lived not far from Sartre in Paris and penned A Farewell to Sartre, a moving account of his last years. She continued her literary and activist work until her death in 1986.

    Courtesy : http://www.butler-bowdon.com/50-philosophy-classics.html
    Download book:
    https://uberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1949_simone-de-beauvoir-the-second-sex.pdf

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