Final answer:
The Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, believed in gender equality and allowed both men and women to speak during religious meetings. They emerged in the 1640s in England and practiced a form of radical Protestantism that rejected hierarchies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group of people who believed that men and women were equal and allowed women to speak freely during religious meetings were the Quakers. This religious group emerged in England in the 1640s under George Fox. The Quakers, or the Society of Friends, emphasized personal spiritual experience and believed the Holy Spirit instructed every individual.
They practiced a radical form of Protestantism that included the belief in social equality, rejecting traditional hierarchies and the norms of the Church of England. The Quakers held meetings in which members, regardless of gender, could speak as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. By the mid-1660s, this group had grown significantly, with members typically being small farmers, traders, and shopkeepers.