Taking the floor: women, feminisms, and public speech

Abstract

In recent years, in various countries around the world, we have witnessed the emergence of studies that have demonstrated the regularity of silencing practices to which women have been—and still are—subjected. These works reveal the historical and systematic functioning of such practices, as well as their modes of operation and the harmful naturalization of their effects. In this context, the bibliographic essay we present is dedicated to a critical examination of how feminist movements have problematized women’s speech and, above all, fostered spaces of resistance against the restrictions imposed on it. This journey begins in the 19th century and extends to the present day, encompassing, as we aim to demonstrate, at least three distinct demands: first, the demand for women’s full oratory exercise; subsequently, the demand for the establishment of a listening framework for such exercise; and finally, the demand for the legitimacy of what women say. To this end, the essay draws upon an extensive feminist bibliography.