NZ Women Make Their Voices Heard
About 400 people gathered in Auckland’s Aotea Square yesterday morning to celebrate the 125th anniversary since women were granted the vote. The Electoral Act signed into law on September 19, 1893, gave women over the age of 21 the right to vote in parliamentary elections. New Zealand was the first country in the world to enact such legislation. In Auckland, the Prime Minister gathered with other leaders and performers for a celebration in Aotea Square.
Jacinda Ardern said she credited a lot of women for laying a path for her to follow and for her position today.
Ms Ardern, told the crowd women have made huge sacrifices to advance female equality. She paid tribute to all women who may have been considered ordinary, but were in fact extraordinary, including the 25,000 woman who signed the suffrage petition.
“They’re all part of a journey to equality that we are continuing to this day,” she said.
“The issues they fought for, economic independence, freedom from violence, equal pay, they’re all issues we continue to grapple with.” She said her own role model was her mother, who made daily sacrifices to bring her up her and her sister. One of the women who signed the original petition for the vote was her great great grandmother, who walked a then record-breaking 100 miles in 24 hours.
Acting Minister for Women Eugenie Sage said the day was about acknowledging the work of women like Kate Sheppard, Meri Te Tai Mangakahia and other suffragists who tirelessly campaigned for the vote.
Women are celebrating - but also know they remain under-represented in some of the country’s top jobs and the gender pay gap still sits at over 9 per cent.
The Public Service Association said the country’s first equal pay strike is being held today to try to close a 15 per cent salary gap. PSA’s pay equity campaign organiser Gabriel Brettkelly said the PM has championed equal pay, and Ministry of Justice staff are striking today to get a fair deal. She said Maori and Pacific women make up a large part of the administration staff and were paid poorly.