Special suffrage content
When Anne McFarlane thinks of her great-grandmother, she thinks of gutsy, courageous women who led by example.
‘‘She was a well respected woman and was very civic minded with her contributions to the church and the community,’’ McFarlane said.
Her great-grandmother Jessie Gardiner was one of the 1430 Southlanders who signed the petition back in 1893.
McFarlane is one of many women in Southland who are reflecting on the 125th anniversary vote.
The south has always been home to proud, strong and independent women, but more of them are now steadily taking up leadership roles.
McFarlane was proud Jessie was so politically aware and active in seeing men and women as equals.
It was not right that women were seen as chattels – ‘‘just like the furniture’’, McFarlane said.
‘‘Education was not easily accessed by females in our early history and emancipation was a great mover and shaker in elevating not its value, but its accessibility.’’
Changes opened up the conversation about careers, parenting, unaccompanied travel, independence, political activity and being somebody in their own right, McFarlane said.
‘‘During my working career, I am sure Jessie was on my shoulder as I became active politically in my workplace. In history we have always had strong, intelligent and courageous women.’’
Invercargill woman Charlotte Murch said: ‘‘I do think they [the women who protested] would be thinking about us. It was a stand for the future and I think that’s important to remember.’’
She is also an ancestor of women who signed – Catherine McCurdy, of Invercargill, and ER Duncan, of Wanganui.
‘‘Most women were treated like silly little girls by journalists [reporting on the topic]. We can be really proud of the few family members to see [who signed],’’ she said.
After years of protesting and fighting, on September 19, 1893, all New Zealand women over the age of 21 were granted the right to vote.
On November 28, women in New Zealand became the first to vote, paving the foundation for the rest of the world.
Murch believed women back then were fighting for future generations, just like she now does for her own daughter.
‘‘It’s so easy for my generation to take things for granted. We’ve still got a long way to go in the feminist movement but they literally forged the path.’’
Invercargill woman Anna Kirkwood said the gender pay gap was another reflection of where improvement was still needed.
She has two ancestors – Rose Broad and Mrs Broad – who signed in Invercargill.
Kirkwood is a co-director and co-founder of The Awareness Project, which runs workshops about creating a clear diversity and inclusion action plan in workplaces.
She hoped to celebrate women who signed the petition and to ‘‘keep carrying the flag forward’’ in her own work.
‘‘Lots [of businesses] think they’re doing well but they have a fair way to go,’’ she said.
Invercargill woman Alison Broad is also fighting for women’s rights, including making sure women are represented on boards.
‘‘Diversity brings richness and if you only have one flavour of person, with gender, age, outlook, you don’t have the richness of diversity,’’ she said.
‘‘We don’t want the same constraints for the next generation. Each [generation] fight to change and improve and create a less constricted future for everyone.’’
Broad carries a dense book which holds the names of women, and 11 men, who signed the petition 125 years ago.
She is a descendant of Mrs Broad and Mrs Lister who signed in Invercargill, and Mrs McLauchlan, Mrs Wilson and Jessie Gilmour who signed in Winton.
Today, Southland showcases women in powerful roles, and highlights how far society has come in the past 125 years.
Former Gore mayor Mary Ogg was the first and only woman to lead her town as mayor.
She is also a registered nurse and was a supervisor at Southland Hospital (then Kew Hospital) and Gore Hospital before getting into local politics.
Since becoming the Gore district’s first female councillor in 1992, she went on to serve two terms as Gore district mayor from 1995 to 2001.
During her time in local politics she was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in, even if it meant earning the displeasure of others.
‘‘People never expected to see a woman as mayor,’’ she said.
‘‘People would say ‘‘what would a nurse know about mayoralty?’’.
‘‘People ask me what it’s like being the first female mayor, but I say I don’t know what it’s like being a male mayor.’’
Ogg was thankful for the women who fought for women’s rights, because without them she might not have had the opportunity to become mayor.
‘‘I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to stand for Gore mayor if it wasn’t for Kate Sheppard. I admire her.’’
Her public service was recognised in 2001 when she was awarded the Companion of the Queen’s Service Order.
Now she keeps a ‘‘low key’’ status in the community and is a grandmother of six.
Her hopes for Gore were for council to stop spending, reduce the rates and lower debt.
‘‘There’s a difference between wants and needs. It’s easy to spend other people’s money,’’ Ogg said.
Labour MP Liz Craig said increasingly more women were taking up leadership roles, not just in politics, but in business, in government agencies and in the community.
Including in Invercargill where all four of the candidates at the 2017 election were women.
‘‘However, there’s still a lot of work to do to ensure equal opportunities for leadership at the highest levels,’’ Craig said.
Craig’s great-grandmother Rachael Marsden signed the suffrage petition in Dunedin.
As a widow, Rachael was left to raise 10 children alone when her husband William died.
It was ‘‘a formidable task’’ at a time when there were few social safety nets, Craig said.
‘‘Rachael’s courage despite the adversity she experienced is a testimony to the strength of New Zealand women.’’
Invercargill man Ray Pankhurst is the descendant of Emmeline Pankhurst (nee Goulden), a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote.
Emmeline was born in England in 1858, and founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, whose members – known as suffragettes – fought to enfranchise women in the United Kingdom.
She was the founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union, and was imprisoned several times for using militant tactics, including throwing rocks, vandalism and arson, to agitate for women’s suffrage.
She died, aged 70, before British women were given full voting rights in 1928.
While she was jailed for protesting, her brother James fled to New Zealand. James is Ray’s grandfather, but died in a farm accident before he was born.
Ray admitted he had heard a lot of conflicting stories about Emmeline so it was hard to know the truth, but he was proud to be a descendant of her.
‘‘She’s done a lot of good and opened up a world really. They [the suffragettes] were strong women and I suppose we’ve got to be proud of what they’ve done.’’