19 September - Celebrate 114 years of

women's suffrage in New Zealand

On September 19th 1893 franchise (the right to vote) was granted to women in New Zealand.

Almost 32000 women signed Kate Sheppard’s petition supporting female franchise (almost one third of eligible women in the country).

It has been claimed that the campaign for female franchise was motivated by prohibitionist ambitions.  Excessive alcohol consumption was rampant in the 19th century and the social consequences were severe.  Suffrage struggle was closely tied to temperance and this may have assisted the suffrage cause by tapping into general concerns about the socially damaging effects of alcohol.

There were some men that supported the suffrage cause.  Many of these were church leaders.  One of the most important men was Sir John Hall who accepted the invitation to be the parliamentary advocate for the suffrage campaign.    He believed that womens enfranchisement would promote good government.  He had several allies in parliament, including Alfred Saunders and Robert Stout. 

There were just six weeks between when the legislation was passed and the parliamentary elections.   This meant that the Women’s Franchise League had to work extremely hard to get as many women on the voting roll as possible.  

Concerned about the influence that voting women would have, virtually ever parliamentary candidate was transformed overnight into a supporter of womens rights!  Media commentators advised candidates to “wear a devout expression, be clean shaven and above all, handle the baby the right side up!

1880s and 90s were a time of major change for women.  They were questioning their subordinate position within marriage, arguing for girls’ schools, and entering the paid workforce.  The first women’s trade union was also formed.

(information sourced from “Standing in the Sunshine” by Sandra Coney)