New Zealand became world's 1st country to grant voting rights to women on this day in 1893

With the signing of the Electoral Bill by Governor Lord Glasgow, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant national voting rights to women on this day, i.e. September 19, in 1893. The landmark legislation was the outcome of years of suffragette meetings in towns and cities across the country. Women travelled considerable distances to hear lectures and speeches, pass resolutions and sign petitions in a bid to fight for their right to vote in parliamentary elections. 

In most democracies, including Britain and the US, women did not win the right to vote until after the First World War. While the United States granted women the right to cote in 1920, Great Britain guaranteed full voting rights for women in 1928. New Zealand’s world leadership in women’s suffrage, on the other hand, became a central part of the country’s image as a trail-blazing ‘social laboratory’. 

READ: NASA Unveiled Its First Space Shuttle ‘Enterprise' On This Day In 1976; Read More

New Zealand’s achievement was the result of nearly 20 years of efforts by suffrage campaigners, led by Kate Sheppard. From 1891-1893, the groups compiled a series of massive petitions calling on Parliament to grant the vote to women. While during the early colonial era, women were excluded from any involvement in politics, it was, however, in the late 19th century that they began to challenge the narrow view of the world. 

(Image: @VZUpToSpeed/Twitter)

Themes of suffrage campaigners 

The suffrage campaign in New Zealand was mainly shaped by two main themes - equal political rights for women and a determination to use them for the moral reform of society. The movements were inspired by the equal-rights arguments of philosopher John Stuart Mill and British feminists and by the missionary efforts of the American-based Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Even though several male politicians supported the women’s suffrage, bills and amendments extending the vote to women only narrowly failed to pass in parliament. 

READ: NASA’s Voyager 1 Took First Photo Of Earth And Moon Together On This Day In 1977

(Image: @Feministory/Twitter)

In the early 1890s, opponents of women’s suffrage had begun to mobilise. They even warned that any disturbance of the ‘natural’ gender roles of men and women might have terrible consequences. In 1891, the Liberal government came in power and Premier John Ballance supported women’s suffrage in principle. In the following months, the House of Representatives passed an electoral bill that would have enfranchised all adult women. 

The battle was still not over as in April 1893 Ballance died and was succeeded by Seddon. While opposition petitioned the council to reject the bill, suffragists responded with mass rallies and a flurry of telegrams to members. Finally, after years of protests, on September 19, 1893, Lord Glasgow signed the bill into law and all women who were ‘British subjects’ and aged 21 and over, were now eligible to vote. 

READ: Papua New Guinea Gained Independence On This Day In 1975; Know 'Land Of Thousand Cultures'

READ: USSR Launched Zond 5 Spaceship On This Day In 1968; Read More