ABSTRACT
The nineteenth century was a transformative period in gender relations. The “woman question” came to be integrated into the broader political, economic, and cultural reforms at an unprecedented level. Women themselves began to present bold ideas and engage in public activism in pursuit of equal rights in the family, civil society, and the nation. The women’s rights movement emerged within the broader context of industrial and capitalist development, Euro-American imperial expansion, modern nation-state building, scientific and technological advances, and a wide range of intellectual movements. The idea of women’s rights traveled through a global network of influencers, including Euro-American imperial governments, Christian missions, and feminist activists who had adopted a racialized outlook. Beyond that, we can also note variation in the features and scope of local movements depending on specific national conditions. In this global flow of ideas and people, feminist politics was shaped by the complex intersectionality of gender, race, class, and nationality.
