Record #00279Human Society archive
First Self-Governing Country to Enfranchise Women in Parliamentary Elections
On 19 September 1893, New Zealand's Electoral Act received assent, making it the first self-governing country to grant women the vote in national parliamentary elections.
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Overview
Archive NoteNew Zealand's suffrage campaign grew through years of organizing and petitions by campaigners including Kate Sheppard, the Women's Christian Temperance Union and allied groups. The 1893 reform became a major milestone in political rights.
The legislation established the right to vote rather than the right to stand for election. Women voted in a general election later in November 1893, but gained eligibility to stand for Parliament in 1919.
The record is deliberately limited to a self-governing country and national parliamentary elections, rather than claiming that no earlier local forms of women's franchise existed.
Record history
1 Milestones- First achievementNew ZealandNew ZealandFirst achievement
Sources
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