Enfin!

A footbridge in honour of the French writer and leading feminist Simone de Beauvoir has been opened in Paris. This is the city's 37th bridge and the first to be named after a woman.


De Beauvoir - the lifelong companion of existentialist philosopher Jean Paul-Sartre - made a name for herself with the 1949 book The Second Sex. The bridge stretches 304 m (1,000ft) across the Seine near the Francois Mitterrand national library. -BBC

It's rare to find Beauvoir's name without the mention of her lifelong relationship with fellow philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, and the BBC story is no exception. Beauvoir's work, however, stands up on its own merits. Although they remained intellectual partners, theirs was a life of independent sexual liasons. Socio-political efforts, however, were often joint efforts. She also spearheaded the "Manifesto 343" to help legalize abortions in France. Here's an interview with her from 1976 on the subject of the 25th anniversary of her seminal work, The Second Sex. It's about time Paris honoured the memory of this most prolific, profound and courageous daughter.