The term 'feminism' has its origin from the Latin word lemina' meaning 'woman' (through French leminisme'). It refers to the advocacy of women's rights, status and power at par with men on the grounds of 'equality of sexes'. In other words, it relates to the belief that women should have the same social, economic and political rights as men. The term became popular from the early twentieth century struggles for securing women's suffrage or voting rights (the suffragette movement) in the western countries, and the later well-organized socio-political movement for women's emancipation from patriarchal oppression.