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| 1893 Woman‘s Suffrage Petition. Christchurch, Sheet No. 1, [Archives New Zealand LE 1 1893/7a] |
On November 28, 1893 the women of New Zealand gained the right to vote. New Zealand was the first governed nation where women won this right. Between 1890 and 1893, numerous petitions wer)e sent to the Houses of Parliament. That's right petitions-the same effective tool we use today to bring about change. The last petition in 1893 had more than 30,000 signatures. The image above is the first sheet of that petition. The campaign was led by Kate Sheppard. She was later honored on the $10 note. I thought this description of her particularly apt: "Most importantly she had the skill of inspiring other women round the country to join the cause and to take action - and to remain loyal and continue taking action." (http://www.nzine.co.nz/features/suffrage2.html)
Another interesting and striking move were the red and white camellias sent to Parliament members. White ones were given to members that supported the Suffrage Bill while red were given to those who had not supported the Bill. The Bill was signed.
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