Women's music

Women's music is a type of music based on the ideas of feminist separatism and lesbian separatism, designed to inspire feminist consciousness chiefly in Western popular music, to promote music "by women, for women, and about women."

Women's music initially focused on topics of feminism that exposed the unfair treatment of women by society and their families, which was ignored by men. Its lyrics focused on women's individual power and women's solidarity. Later, it became lesbians' music.

As an offshoot of the feminist movement, the genre was referred to as a musical expression of the second-wave feminist movement and included the women's labor, civil rights, and peace movements. The movement was started by lesbian performers such as Cris Williamson, Meg Christian, and Margie Adam, African-American musicians including Linda Tillery, Mary Watkins, Gwen Avery and activists such as Bernice Johnson Reagon and her group Sweet Honey in the Rock, and peace activist Holly Near. Women's music is not only associated with female performers but also all female workers in the industry, including studio musicians, producers, sound engineers, technicians, cover artists, distributors, promoters, and festival organizers.