19 September - New Zealand became first country to grant women the right to vote 1893

On 19 September 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. This historic achievement was largely due to the efforts of women's suffrage activists like Kate Sheppard, whose tireless campaigning helped bring about this groundbreaking change in voting rights.

Here are more details about the events leading up to and following the landmark decision:

Background and Campaign

• Early Advocacy: The campaign for women's suffrage began in the 1870s but gained significant momentum in the 1880s. Advocates like Kate Sheppard believed that granting women the right to vote would improve society by allowing women to influence laws, particularly regarding social reforms like temperance.

• Petitions: A series of petitions were organized throughout the 1890s, with the largest one submitted in 1893, bearing over 32,000 signatures. This massive petition was a key moment that pressured New Zealand's Parliament to take the matter seriously. It was known as the largest petition in New Zealand at the time.

• Political Struggle: Despite significant opposition, including concerns that women's involvement in politics would disrupt the family structure, a suffrage bill was introduced several times in the 1890s. Each time it was narrowly defeated. However, by 1893, public support had reached a tipping point.

• Passage of the Electoral Act 1893: On September 19, 1893, the Governor, Lord Glasgow, signed the Electoral Act into law, officially granting women the right to vote. This act made New Zealand the first self-governing nation to allow women to participate in national elections.

First Women's Election

• The law took effect just in time for the 1893 general election. A huge number of women, approximately 85% of those eligible, registered to vote, and on 28 November 1893, women cast their ballots for the first time in New Zealand’s history.

Impact and Legacy

• International Influence: New Zealand's action had a ripple effect worldwide, encouraging women's suffrage movements in other countries like the United Kingdom and the United States. Australia followed by granting women the right to vote in 1902, though other countries took decades to follow suit.

• Kate Sheppard's Legacy: Kate Sheppard became a symbol of the suffrage movement, both in New Zealand and globally. Her portrait is featured on the New Zealand $10 note, and she remains an enduring figure in feminist history.

• Continued Progress: While women were granted the right to vote, it wasn't until 1919 that they were allowed to stand for election to Parliament. New Zealand elected its first female MP, Elizabeth McCombs, in 1933.

New Zealand’s achievement is remembered as a defining moment in the global struggle for gender equality, setting an important precedent for women’s rights around the world.