Kate sheppard

new Zealand 1847-1934

Sheppard led the New Zealand branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union from 1887, an organisation that believed female suffrage could bring about social and legal reform. After attempts to pass the female suffrage bill failed, Sheppard organised a petition with nearly 32,000 signatures, all women, and presented it to Parliament in 1893. Despite strong opposition, the lower house of Parliament supported it. The Electoral Act passed that year, granting every person 21 years of over the vote, including women. Thanks to Sheppard’s campaigning, New Zealand became the first country in the world to allow female suffrage.

“We are tired of having a ‘sphere’ doled out to us, and being told that anything outside that sphere is ‘unwomanly’” Kate Sheppard

Sheppard is commemorated for her efforts on New Zealand’s $10 note