The long history of New Zealand explains how, even today, the country is the world’s leader in women’s suffrage. By as early as 1893, New Zealand granted all women the right to vote – and by 1919, it allowed women to be elected to parliament. Through a combination of small population size, a geographically remote location, and the lack of conservative British traditions, the country has evolved into the socially liberal place it is currently known as.

Kate Sheppard – Her Never-Ending Legacy

Kate Sheppard

Kate Sheppard laid the foundations for the prominent approach for which New Zealand is currently known. Focusing on equal pay, violence prevention, economic independence, marital/divorce reform, health, and education, she was a driving force in creating these enduring changes.

Originally born in England in 1847, Sheppard was a feminist from a young age. She believed that women should be involved in all aspects of society, including politics. By the late 1870s, she was fighting for dress reform while promoting cycling and other physical activities for women. By 1885, she joined the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and quickly became the leader of the women’s suffrage campaign – through pamphlets, meetings, lectures, and petitions. Parliament granted women the right to vote on September 19, 1893, largely due to Sheppard’s activities.

Sheppard’s legacy lives on as she initiated the National Council of Women (NCW), which fought for marriage equality and the right to run for parliament, which was granted by 1919. She also helped women’s suffrage movements across borders, including in England and the US, in the fight for voting rights. Her picture remains to this day on the $10 banknote in New Zealand as tribute to the women throughout history who have fought for equality.

New Zealand: Then & Now

Since Kate Sheppard’s influence, there have been many further examples proving New Zealand’s support of female empowerment in politics. In the last 30 years, New Zealand has seen:

• 1991: First openly transgender mayor and MP Georgina Beyer;
•  Current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is the second woman ever to hold this office while pregnant;
•  40% of the Members of Parliament are women;
•  Women holding significant office seats including head of state, prime minister, chief justice, attorney general, and deputy speaker.

Moving Forward

While there has been incredible progress in New Zealand, the country continues to push for equality, and this is what makes it such an influential global leader in terms of women’s suffrage. Currently, it is still heavily focused on tackling the gender pay gap in the public sector and extending paid maternity leave.

New Zealand has been creative in its pursuits of creating equal pay. The country puts time, energy, and resources into encouraging women and girls to enter high-growth fields, such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, construction, and trades. It even has a cross-government initiative that is aimed at improving engagement with science and technology across all sectors of society called ‘A Nation of Curious Minds, He Whenua Hihiri te Mahara.’

Furthermore, New Zealand is committed to improving the gender balance across public sector senior leadership positions as well as ensuring and guiding women to understand their own leadership potential. There is even a specific sector in the government called the Ministry for Women. The department collaborates with multiple sectors including the Chamber of Commerce, economic development agencies, industry training organizations, trade associations, and other departments to create greater gender diversification and workplace flexibility for everyone.

From Kate Sheppard to current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand continues to lead the fight for women’s suffrage, pay equality, human rights, and representation in office. Its story is a positive example of how modern and progressive a government can be. There is still work to be done, but the country is making significant headway. Companies, governments, and organizations alike can look to New Zealand for inspiration and guidance on how to progressively move forward.