Women's Franchise in New Zealand
Kate Sheppard Suffragette Fought for Women's Right to Vote
Dec 8, 2008
Kate Sheppard, a founding member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, was a key figure in the campaign for women's franchise in New Zealand during the 1880s. A branch of the Temperance Union was set up to advocate for the rights of women. With Kate at its helm, she organised and led a strong group of women to publicise their campaign and to petition Government. While there were some sympathetic Members of Parliament, the Government at that time was actively opposed to granting women the vote.
Who was Kate Sheppard?
Kate Sheppard was from a Scottish and Irish background, believed to be born in Liverpool, England on 10 March 1848. She was one of five children born to Andrew Wilson Malcom, lawyer, and his wife Jemima Crawford Souter, who started their married life on the Isle of Islay in the Hebrides, Scotland. When her father died, Kate was sent to live with an uncle in Nairn, in the north-east of Scotland and Kate is believed to have inherited her keenness for good causes from him. She later joined the rest of her family who were living with relatives in Dublin. When she was nearly twenty-one, Kate emigrated 12,000 miles to New Zealand, to start a new life in the growing colony, where she had the support of her mother and siblings. She settled in Christchurch in the South Island.
Kate, the Tireless Worker for Women's Suffrage
Kate and her fervent group of women, persevered for seven years in their endeavour to gain women's franchise. Franchise pamphlets were distributed in Christchurch, many letters were written to the newspapers, and a range of groups were lobbied for their support, including church assemblies, literary societies and, the public in general.
However, they were up against the opposing, and somewhat, strange views of influential men that reflected the religious and social mores of the late 19th century society in New Zealand and, arguably, world wide. For example, Pember Reeves believed that only well educated women should be granted the privilege of voting, and Dr Samuel Hodgkinson stated that women's franchise went against "the nature and ordinance of God" (in Leading Ladies,1979, p.13).
Kate contended that every adult who was not a criminal and of sound mind was entitled to vote, men and women alike. If men had full franchise, why not women?
Progress to Full Suffrage
In 1887 Member of Parliament, Sir Julius Vogel, who was a supporter of women's right to vote, introduced a Female Franchise Bill which reached a second reading. Richard Seddon, who was strongly opposed to the change, ensured that the Bill was defeated in committee. In 1891 the Liberal Government came into power under the leadership of Ballance. After two unsuccessful petitions of 10,000 and 20,000 signatures respectively, in 1893, Kate Sheppard's third petition of 32,000 signatories made a strong statement to the Government that women's franchise could no longer be ignored.
In 1893, the Government introduced the Electoral Bill which was passed, giving women unrestricted voting rights.
Kate Sheppard continued in her endeavours to campaign for women's rights in a variety of areas. She died in Riccarton, Christchurch in 1934 at 86 years of age.
References:
Devaliant, Judith. A Biography Kate Sheppard: The Fight for Women's Votes in New Zealand - The Life of the Woman who Led the Struggle. Auckland: Penguin Books, 1992.
Wordsworth, Jane. Leading Ladies: Twenty-three Outstanding Women. Wellington: Reed, 1979.
