Second Wave Feminism And The People Who Want To Hear

At a time where women were disadvantaged politically, socially, and economically, it was women who ultimately came to the conclusion that their gender was oppressed. This epiphany led a vast majority of women to make their voices heard in the deaf society of gender equality. Feminists began various protests, demonstrations, and other forms of public outcries to protest issues such as equal political representation, equal pay, and reproductive choice. An important aspect to consider here is the target audience. What sorts of people were they appealing to? Would their message resonate with people differently based on their ideologies or gender? Well, the answer can be obtained by looking at the achievements of Second Wave Feminism. The Equal Rights Amendment of 1972 was passed, allowing women to finally pursue careers that men traditionally held along with an increase in the amount of women in leadership roles. From this achievement, one can infer that their intended audience were people who had political ties. However, this is not the only audience. Feminists wanted everyone to hear their message, be it man, women, or gender-queer. Just like discrimination against race, discrimination against women was a systemic injustice at the time, which prompted feminists to appeal to genders of all kinds. Essentially, feminists wanted all the people and society to listen. To a great extent, they were successful in achieving their aims. The gender inequality that remained ultimately contributed to the Third Wave of Feminism.

-Brendan Xu