Earlier efforts by first-wave feminists such as Voltairine de Cleyre, Victoria Woodhull and Elizabeth Clarke Wolstenholme Elmy to criminalize marital rape in the late 19th century had failed; this was only achieved a century later in most Western countries, but is still not achieved in many other parts of the world.
As tentativas anteriores das feministas da primeira onda, como Voltairine de Cleyre, Victoria Woodhull e Elizabeth Clarke Wolstenholme Elmy, para criminalizar a violación conxugal a finais do século XIX non tiveron éxito, e conseguiuse un século máis tarde na maioría dos países occidentais, mais aínda non foi conquistado en moitas outras partes do mundo.