▁to ▁women ▁from ▁the ▁very ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁the ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 5 0 s . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁to ▁form ulate ▁direct ▁bib lic al ▁just ification ▁for ▁this ▁was ▁Sarah ▁Black bor ow . ▁In ▁James ▁Bos well ' s ▁Life ▁of ▁Johnson , ▁Samuel ▁Johnson ' s ▁opinion ▁of ▁a ▁female ▁Qu aker ▁pre acher ▁was ▁recorded ▁thus : ▁" S ir , ▁a ▁woman ' s ▁pre aching ▁is ▁like ▁a ▁dog ▁walking ▁on ▁his ▁h ind ▁legs . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁done ▁well ; ▁but ▁you ▁are ▁surprised ▁to ▁find ▁it ▁done ▁at ▁all ." ▁Es pecially ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years , ▁a ▁large ▁number   – ▁even ▁possibly ▁the ▁majority ▁– ▁of ▁travel ing ▁Qu aker ▁pre ach ers ▁were ▁women . ▁As ide ▁from ▁min istry , ▁Qu aker ▁women ▁travel led ▁alone ▁and ▁published ▁their ▁writing , ▁which ▁was ▁also ▁unusual ▁for ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁Qu akers , ▁both ▁historical ▁and ▁contemporary , ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁women ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁called ▁the ▁" Test im ony ▁of ▁Equ ality ". ▁However , ▁despite ▁that ▁testim ony , ▁women ' s ▁roles ▁were ▁not ▁completely ▁equal ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁In ▁the ▁beginning , ▁Me et ings ▁for ▁Business ▁were ▁domin ated ▁by ▁male ▁Fri ends , ▁but ▁within ▁twenty - five ▁years , ▁George ▁Fox ▁ordered ▁establishment ▁of ▁separate ▁women ' s ▁meet ings ▁when ▁he ▁faced ▁challeng es ▁to ▁his ▁leadership . ▁Part