25 Simone de Beauvoir Quotes That Inspired the Feminist Movement

By Sckylar Gibby-Brown | Published August 10, 2022

These Simone de Beauvoir quotes about feminism, gender-stereotypes, and oppression will show you how far we’ve come in the last 70 years, and how far we still have to go.

Simone de Beauvoir was born in Paris in 1908 and would grow up to be one of the world’s leading feminists, philosophers, and authors of the 20th century.

Her book, The Second Sex, published in 1949 would become her masterpiece and would trigger a feminist movement still being recognized today.

Against the confines of marriage, de Beauvoir never married.

However, she did enjoy a serious and committed open-relationship with fellow author and philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre (read our list of Jean-Paul Sartre quotes here), and had several other relationships during their time together.

During a period where women were expected to serve the men in their lives, Simone de Beauvoir championed ideals of feminism that were quite radical.

Her books, essays, and memoirs reflected views that were alternative to the status quo, and thus, she spearheaded a movement for change that would affect the lives of women for generations to come.

We hope you enjoy this collection of Simone de Beauvoir quotes.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement.

Check out more inspirational quotes on our motivational quotes category page.

Simone de Beauvoir quotes on feminism

1. “If the feminine issue is so absurd, is because the male’s arrogance made it a discussion.” — Simone de Beauvoir

2. “But women do not say ‘We’, except at some congress of feminists or similar formal demonstration; men say ‘women’, and women use the same word in referring to themselves.” — Simone de Beauvoir

3. “Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with absolute truth.” — Simone de Beauvoir

You will also enjoy our article on feminism quotes.

4. “That the child is the supreme aim of a woman is a statement having precisely the value of an advertising slogan.” — Simone de Beauvoir

5. “If they want to flirt or initiate a friendship, they should carefully avoid giving the impression they are taking the initiative; men do not like tomboys, nor bluestockings, nor thinking women; too much audacity, culture, intelligence, or character frightens them.” — Simone de Beauvoir

6. “What would Prince Charming have for occupation if he had not to awaken the Sleeping beauty?” — Simone de Beauvoir

7. “In exchange for her liberty she has received the false treasures of her ‘femininity’.” — Simone de Beauvoir

8. “Women’s mutual understanding comes from the fact that they identify themselves with each other, but for the same reason each is against the others.” — Simone de Beauvoir

9. “Man is defined as a human being and woman as a female – whenever she behaves as a human being she is said to imitate the male.” — Simone de Beauvoir

10. “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” — Simone de Beauvoir

11. “To emancipate woman is to refuse to confine her to the relations she bears to man, not to deny them to her.” — Simone de Beauvoir

12. “Few tasks are more like the torture of Sisyphus than housework, with its endless repetition: the clean becomes soiled, the soiled is made clean, over and over, day after day.” — Simone de Beauvoir

13. “If I want to define myself, I first have to say, “I am a woman”; all other assertions will arise from this basic truth. A man never begins by positing himself as an individual of a certain sex: that he is a man is obvious.” — Simone de Beauvoir

14. “When we abolish the slavery of half of humanity, together with the whole system of hypocrisy that it implies, then the ‘division’ of humanity will reveal its genuine significance and the human couple will find its true form.” — Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir quotes about oppression

15. “The whole of feminine history has been man-made.” — Simone de Beauvoir

16. “Her wings are cut and then she is blamed for not knowing how to fly.” — Simone de Beauvoir

17. “To be feminine is to show oneself as weak, futile, passive, and docile.” — Simone de Beauvoir

18. “The girl is supposed not only to primp and dress herself up but also to repress her spontaneity and substitute for it the grace and charm she has been taught by her elder sisters.” — Simone de Beauvoir

19. “Any self-assertion will take away from her femininity and her seductiveness.” — Simone de Beauvoir

20. “All oppression creates a state of war. And this is no exception.” — Simone de Beauvoir

21. “No one is more arrogant toward women, more aggressive or scornful, than the man who is anxious about his virility.” — Simone de Beauvoir

22. “One of the benefits that oppression secures for the oppressor is that the humblest among them feels superior.” — Simone de Beauvoir

23. “Woman is shut up in a kitchen or in a boudoir, and astonishment is expressed that her horizon is limited.” — Simone de Beauvoir

Empowering Simone de Beauvoir quotes

24. “It is perfectly natural for the future woman to feel indignant at the limitations posed upon her by her sex. The real question is not why she should reject them: the problem is rather to understand why she accepts them.” — Simone de Beauvoir

25. “In itself, homosexuality is as limiting as heterosexuality: the ideal should be to be capable of loving a woman or a man; either, a human being, without feeling fear, restraint, or obligation.” — Simone de Beauvoir

Did you learn anything from these Simone de Beauvoir quotes?

The work of the feminist is long from complete.

The world is steadily changing for the better and humanity is becoming more and more equal with every passing year.

However, there are still many areas where feminists are still fighting the valiant fight for equality.

Although narrowing, there is still a pay gap between men and women.

The gap is even larger between men and women in minority groups.

Males still dominate in many industries with women being the minority in the government, news media, tech sector, executive suite, and science fields.

Also, did I mention the Pink Tax?

On average women pay more than men on common household items like shampoo, socks, underwear, and deodorant.

Many of these items, like razors, are exactly the same, but because one comes in a “feminine” pink package it costs more.

Simone de Beauvoir’s book, The Second Sex, became the feminist’s bible and thus she became an icon for the feminist movement.

De Beauvoir sparked a conversation that would inspire change for a more equal world.

While a lot has changed since de Beauvoir’s time in the spotlight, there is still much more to be done.