This is my take on it. Those examples I used include an element of equality, but at their core it was about acknowledging that people from different backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, etc. all had the right to dignity, life, freedom of movement, etc. Abolitionism was not about slave holders - it was about the slaves. The suffragette movement was not about men, it was about the women. In the same way, veganism is not concerned with people - it's a social justice movement, an ethic, concerned with the plight of the oppressed, subjugated and exploited - the animals. In that way, veganism sets out to to have people acknowledge that the animals that we share this planet with have a basic right to life, dignity and freedom from exploitation. Once you view it from the perspective of the victims, you'll understand why I've made this comparison. I've alluded to this before, but in 2019, given what is going on, we cannot eschew social responsibility in favour of the unbridled freedom to choose what to eat. We have laws in place to prevent and prosecute people who choose to drink and drive, because we have collectively decided that it is socially irresponsible/dangerous to do so. Why should we not emphasize and entrench social responsibility in regards to our food system?
