Women's suffrage in New Zealand: A movement that gave Women right to vote

New Delhi : In this 21st century we have more eligible female voters than male voters but do we know how and when all the women got the right to vote? On 19th September, 1983, 127 years ago from now, Lord Glasgow, The governor, Lord Glasgow, of New Zealand signed a new Electoral Act into law on the same day. This was the day when women got their right to vote for the first time in the world. They voted the first time in the election held on 28 November 1893 and in the same year; Elizabeth Yates became Mayor of Onehunga, the first time a woman holding such position anywhere in the British Empire. This all has been a result of the campaign named “Women’s Suffrage in New Zealand” which was led by Kate Sheppard. In 1891, 1892 and 1893 they compiled a series of massive petitions calling on Parliament to grant the right to vote to women. Kate Sheppard’s has been acknowledged by printing her picture on the $10 note.

Now a days, elections and politics records a great involvement of women participation but there has been time where they were not allowed to even participate in any decision making process. After the success, the campaign was led in many different countries but it took decades for indigenous and black women to win this right however white women.

However, all the women got their right to vote sooner or later. New Zealand being the first and Saudi Arabia is the most recent country in which women have won the right to vote, in 2015.

In India, Women along with all the citizens got this right in 1945 with the independence.

Pakistani women were granted the suffrage that is right to vote for women in 1947, but it is claimed that they were reaffirmed the right to vote in national elections in 1956 under the interim Constitution.

We shall also note that New Zealand was a British Colony but the women in Britain (England) got their right to vote in the year 1918. In the early phase, the women of 30 years of age or above were allowed to vote whereas this limit for men was at 21 years only. Now the limit has been made to 18 years for the entire citizen.

China claims that the women got their voting right on 1st October, 1949 with the foundation of People’s Republic of China.