The first wave of feminism took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and emerged from an environment of urban industrialism and liberal and socialist politics. The goal of this wave was to open up opportunities for women, focusing on suffrage. The wave formally began at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, when three hundred men and women joined the cause of equality for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (b., 190) wrote the Seneca Falls Declaration, outlining the ideology and political strategies of the new movement.
The feminist movement, also known as the women's movement, refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns in favor of radical and liberal reforms in women's problems created by inequality between men and women. These issues are women's liberation, reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence. The movement's priorities have expanded since its inception in the 19th century and vary between nations and communities. Priorities range from opposing female genital mutilation in one country to opposing the glass ceiling in another one.
