womens vote

[SHALOM]

which nation gave women the right to vote first?

[shammydodger]

New Zealand. 1892 or thereabouts.

[jno]

Wyoming was earlier, I think, but not a nation. New Zealand currently has a woman prime minister, governor general (representing the female monarch) and chief justice.

[shammydodger]

....and I've just googled it and discovered that the New Zealand governor signed the Electoral Act 19th September 1893, making New Zealand "the first self-governing country in the world to grant the vote to all adult women." In November of the same year, they had their first chance to exercise their new right in the general elections.

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/suffrage

Not sure how significant the quote is. Does it imply that other nation/nations had given the vote to some adult women, but not all, prior to this (for example)?

[Octavius]

1869: Britain grants unmarried women who are householders the right to vote in local elections.

1862/3: Some Swedish women gain voting rights in local elections.

1869: Wyoming territory constitution grants women the right to vote and to hold public office (Utah 1870, all of USA 1920).

1881: Some Scottish women get the right to vote in local elections.

1893: New Zealand grants equal voting rights to women.

1894: The United Kingdom expands women's voting rights to married women in local but not national

etc, etc, etc

I think as a national 'event' New Zealand wins it.
vote