I have a question about the usage of the phrase "in the wake of" here:
We are still in the wake of discriminatory laws against women and children.
I could not find a good dictionary definition that fits this usage of "in the wake of". But, the author of the sentence appears to be a non-native English speaker. Could the sentence, then, be poorly written?
Best Answer
This is a wake:
To be literally "in the wake of --" means that a boat went by, and you are in the turbulent water and waves behind it.
To be figuratively "in the wake of --" means
This is a fairly common idiom.
So the writer is saying we are still in the midst of the negative consequences of discriminatory laws.