New Zealand Women Win the Vote: First Country for Universal Suffrage
New Zealand women didn't just win the right to vote in 1893 — they'd been fighting for it for nearly two decades, led by Kate Sheppard, who collected petition signatures across the country in an era before phones or cars. The final petition delivered to Parliament had 32,000 signatures. Governor Lord Glasgow signed the Electoral Act into law on September 19. New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the vote. Women wouldn't be allowed to stand for Parliament there for another 26 years.
September 19, 1893
133 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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