1893 Women's Suffrage Petition

Petition to the New Zealand Government in support of women's suffrage April 2024 October 2023 thumb|The first sheet of the 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition. Archives Reference LE1 1893/7a |alt=Refer to section "Text" The 1893 women's suffrage petition was the third of three petitions to the New Zealand Government supporting women's suffrage. It resulted in the Electoral Act 1893, which gave women the right to vote in the 1893 general election. The 1893 petition was substantially more extensive than the 1891 petition, which had around 9,000 signatures, and larger still than the 1892 petition, which contained some 20,000 signatures.https://natlib.govt.nz/he-tohu/about/womens-suffrage-petition Women's Suffrage Petition — Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine natlib.govt.nz en 4 December 2018 The third petition was the largest petition presented to Parliament at that point, with nearly 32,000 signatures.https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2s20/sheppard-katherine-wilson Sheppard, Katherine Wilson Malcolm Tessa K. Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga teara.govt.nz en 1 July 2026 The petition was signed in various parts of the country by women, aged 21 or older, who signed their names and addresses. At least 20 men also signed the petition.The Women's Suffrage Petition Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine, 1893 https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/the-womens-suffrage-petition-1893/ 2024-07-11 www.bwb.co.nz en-US The main petition had more than 500 individual sheets joined to form a roll stretching over 270 m. When Sir John Hall submitted the petition to Parliament on 28 July 1893, Parliamentary staff unwound a section of the roll, extending it to the whole length of the debating chamber.29 July 1893 Parliamentary notes https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP18930729.2.11 Evening Post Papers Past There were 12 other smaller petitions which have not survived.https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/womens-suffrage/about-the-petition About the suffrage petition – Women and the vote NZHistory, New Zealand history online nzhistory.govt.nz 7 July 2019 Politicians John Hall, Alfred Saunders, and Premier John Ballance supported women's suffrage, but the effort was led mainly by the New Zealand branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, which Kate Sheppard led from 1887. thumb|1893 Women's Suffrage Petition The petition is on display at the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington as part of the He Tohu exhibition. It remains, however, under the care of the Chief Archivist and Archives New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/he-tohu He Tohu National Library of New Zealand 18 September 2018 It has been on the UNESCO Memory of the World international register since 1997.https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/1893-womens-suffrage-petition The 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition UNESCO Memory of the World Programme 2011 The 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition led to New Zealand becoming the first self-governing nation in the world where women won the right to vote. It was signed by close to one quarter of the female adult population and was, at that time, the largest petition of its kind signed in New Zealand and other Western countries. 11 November 2011 It is also inscribed in the national register, Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Ngā Mahara o te Ao.http://www.unescomow.org.nz/nz-register NZ Register unescomow.org.nz 2011 11 November 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302023621/http://www.unescomow.org.nz/nz-register 2 March 2012 dead The 1891 petition has not survived, but Archives New Zealand holds the 1892 petition.https://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=27184 Archway :: Series Full Description Zealand Archives New archway.archives.govt.nz 4 December 2018 Text The text of the petition, as presented to the House of Representatives in 1893, is as follows. THE Petition of the undersigned Women, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, resident in the Colony of New Zealand, humbly sheweth:-- THAT large numbers of Women in the Colony have for several years petitioned Parliament to extend the franchise to them. THAT the justice of the claim, and the expediency of granting it, was, during the last Session of Parliament, affirmed by both Houses; but, that for reasons not affecting the principle of Women's Franchise, its exercise has not yet been provided for. THAT if such provision is not made before the next General Election, your petitioners will, for several years, be denied the enjoyment of what has been admitted by Parliament to be a just right, and will suffer a grievous wrong. THEY therefore earnestly pray your Honourable House to adopt such measures as will enable Women to record their votes for Members of the House of Representatives at the ensuing General Election. THEY further pray that your Honourable House will pass no Electoral Bill which shall fail to secure to Women this privilege. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c. References Further reading Smith Rosemarie The Ladies Are at It Again! Gore Debates the Women's Franchise Wellington Victoria University of Wellington 1993 978-04-7511-018-3 Q112857165 External links New Zealand suffrage milestones Database of signatories to the 1893 Women's suffrage petition Category:Political history of New Zealand Category:Women's rights in New Zealand Category:Memory of the World Register in New Zealand Category:Feminism in New Zealand Category:1893 in women's history Category:1893 documents Category:Kate Sheppard Category:Democratization