This podcast episode is from Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex explores the historical and societal factors that have positioned women as the "Other" in relation to men. Beauvoir analyzes how biological and economic situations in primitive societies led to male supremacy, defining women primarily by their reproductive capacity and tying them to nature while men engaged in activities that forged the future. The text discusses the role of women in various historical periods, including their limited freedoms in patriarchal societies where they were often treated as property, and touches upon the societal expectations and constraints placed on women from adolescence through adulthood, examining themes like the myth of Woman, the challenges of housework, and the complex relationship between women and religion as a means of transcending their limited earthly existence. Finally, the excerpts consider how societal pressures and male dominance can lead women to internalize their status as objects, impacting their experiences with sexuality, relationships, and their ability to achieve genuine independence and artistic or intellectual fulfillment.