icular ly ▁controvers ial ▁was ▁his ▁decision ▁that ▁women ' s ▁meet ings ▁for ▁discipline ▁should ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁pass ▁on ▁a ▁couple ' s ▁intention ▁to ▁be ▁married . ▁Se par ate ▁meet ings ▁decl ined ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁were ▁elimin ated ▁later . ▁Having ▁authority ▁over ▁any ▁business ▁at ▁all   – ▁let ▁alone ▁authority ▁over ▁men ▁( in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁appro ving ▁or ▁den ying ▁mar ri ages ) ▁– ▁was ▁a ▁radical ▁move ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁and ▁gave ▁women ▁then - rare ▁experience ▁in ▁running ▁organizations . ▁Conc ern ing ▁the ▁introduction ▁and ▁much ▁later ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁separate ▁meet ings , ▁one ▁historian ▁writes , ▁ ▁" On ▁balance , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁long ▁run , ▁I ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁separate ▁women ' s ▁meeting ▁was ▁good ▁for ▁women ; ▁indeed , ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁cr ad le ▁not ▁only ▁of ▁modern ▁femin ism ▁but ▁of ▁the ▁movements ▁of ▁abol ition ism , ▁women ' s ▁suff rage , ▁and ▁peace ▁activ ism , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁were , ▁and ▁are , ▁en l iven ed ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁( even ▁pre domin ance ) ▁of ▁Qu aker ▁female ▁leaders ." ▁ ▁Qu akers ▁were ▁heavily ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁movement ▁for ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁in ▁America ; ▁the ▁land mark ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁Sen eca ▁F alls ▁Dec laration ▁was ▁in ▁large