Votes For Women
On 28th November 1893, women voted for the first time in the world in elections in a self-governing country. In most democracies – notably Britain and the United States – women did not win the right to vote until after the First World War, but in September 1893 New Zealand's parliament passed a bill allowing women the vote in the next general election.

New Zealand's suffrage campaign was led by Kate Sheppard (pictured), who galvanised support from women around the country for a series of petitions to the government. The opposition to women's suffrage was mostly led by the liquor industry, who were concerned that women would use the vote to ban alcohol in an attempt to morally reform society.