Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) was a French writer and philosopher. She studied French philology, mathematics and philosophy at the Sorbonne, receiving her licence in 1928. From 1932 to 1943, she taught in Rouen and Paris before devoting herself fully to writing. She was closely associated with Jean-Paul Sartre from their student years onward. Beauvoir was actively engaged in political and social issues, particularly in the French women’s movement. In 1971, she signed the French manifesto supporting abortion rights, and in 1974 she became president of the Party for Women’s Rights.