Did you know that New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world to grant the vote to all adult women?
This allowed ALL women in NZ (with the exception of
prison inmates) to officially and legally have their say on the
decisions and laws that impacted them for the first time in November
1893.
I say ‘all’ proudly, as even subsequently, in other
select places, rights were not given straight away to all women but
selected pockets that were deemed worthy such as the wealthy, property
owners or rate payers.
Previously only the Isle of Man, as an internally
self-governing dependant territory of the British Crown, had
enfranchised women property owners in 1881 and on Pitcairn Island female
descendants of the Bounty Mutineers were allowed to
vote for ruling council members from 1838.
It was not until after WW1 that Britain and America allowed women the vote.
Interestingly (to me, at least!) this would have
occurred even sooner in NZ had it not been for the concern of certain
members of parliament with friends (and fingers) in the Liquor industry
who opposed the bills put forward to parliament
to allow the vote on the grounds that women would use their new found
influence to negatively impact the availability of liquor (as was one of
the main drives of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in those
times, which they believed went hand in hand with
improving the conditions for women and family life in general).
Kate Sheppard and fellow suffragists travelled our
country gathering support (and educating) under fierce opposition. Women
who came out in support were
‘recommended to go home, look after their children, cook their
husbands’ dinners, empty the slops, and generally attend to the domestic
affairs for which Nature designed them’; and told they should give up
‘meddling in masculine concerns of which they are profoundly ignorant’.
They gathered signatures of around 32, 000 women
from all over the country, glued the sheets together and presented it
dramatically as a 270 m roll bowled across the chamber of the House in
July 1893.
The Electoral Act 1893 was passed (by both houses) and became law on Sept 19th (even with the opposition of our Premier at the time; Richard Seddon – a friend of the Liquor Industry!).
You can view the list, read the names of the people that signed and find out more info about the NZ Suffrage on the
NZhistory.govt.nz website.
Nelson had its own list of signatures of support
which was submitted separately and subsequently lost from history so we
can’t look at that – however, I have included below, the
text of a leaflet published by the Women's Christian Temperance Union
in May 1888, which was sent to every member of the House of
Representatives. I imagine at the time people didn’t giggle at all as
much as I did when I read it! ( please note: I am grateful
I live in a time where I have the right and am able to giggle about
such things!).
Ten reasons why the women of New Zealand should vote
(1888)
1.
Because a democratic government like that of New Zealand already admits
the great
principle that every adult person, not convicted of crime, nor
suspected of lunacy, has an inherent right to a voice in the
construction of laws which all must obey.
2. Because it has not yet been proved that the intelligence of women is only equal
to that of children, nor that their social status is on a par with that of lunatics or convicts.
3. Because women are affected by the prosperity of the Colony, are concerned in the
preservation of its liberty and free institutions, and suffer equally with men from all national errors and mistakes.
4.
Because women are less accessible than men to most of the debasing
influences now
brought to bear upon elections, and by doubling the number of electors
to be dealt with, women would make bribery and corruption less
effective, as well as more difficult.
5. Because in the quietude of home women are less liable than men to be swayed by mere
party feeling, and are inclined to attach great value to uprightness and rectitude of life in a candidate.
6. Because the presence of women at the polling-booth would have a refining and purifying
effect.
7. Because the votes of women would add weight and power to the more settled and responsible
communities.
8. Because women are endowed with a more constant solicitude for the welfare of the
rising generations, thus giving them a more far-reaching concern for something beyond the present moment.
9.
Because the admitted physical weakness of women disposes them to
exercise more habitual
caution, and to feel a deeper interest in the constant preservation of
peace, law, and order, and especially in the supremacy of right over
might.
10.
Because women naturally view each question from a somewhat different
standpoint
to men, so that whilst their interests, aims, and objects would be very
generally the same, they would often see what men had overlooked, and
thus add a new security against any partial or one-sided legislation.
Women vote for the first time at a polling station in the tiny South Otago settlement of Tahakopa on 28 November 1893. Despite ominous warnings by diehard suffrage opponents that delicate female voters would be harassed and jostled, the conduct of the election was peaceful and orderly throughout the country.
Of the around 120, 000 NZ women at the time about
102,000 turned out to vote for the first time in the election following
the Sept 19th law pass.
So – this Sept 19th (Wednesday), 125 years on – take a moment to think about the rights you have, how you got them and how you use them.
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