Universal Womanhood: A Myth and a Monster

Abstract

The concept of a universal womanhood has long occupied a central position within feminist discourse, often functioning as a unifying framework to articulate collective struggles against patriarchy. However, this paper argues that such a universalized notion of womanhood is not only theoretically flawed but also materially exclusionary, particularly for trans women whose lived experiences fail to align with essentialist and homogenized definitions of femininity.

Drawing upon Jennifer Finney Boylan’s memoir She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders (2013), this study critically examines how the myth of universal womanhood operates as a regulatory construct that polices gendered embodiment, expression, and legitimacy. Rather than fostering solidarity, this construct often reproduces hierarchies within feminism, marginalizing those who do not conform to culturally sanctioned norms of womanhood.