On This Day
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New Zealand women vote for the first time in a national election [1]

Women's suffrage was an important political issue in the late-nineteenth-century New Zealand.

Women's suffrage was an important political issue in the late-nineteenth-century New Zealand. In early colonial New Zealand, as in other European societies, women were excluded from any involvement in politics. Public opinion began to change in the latter half of the nineteenth century and after years of effort by women's suffrage campaigners, led by Kate Sheppard, New Zealand became the first nation in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

The Electoral Bill granting women the franchise was given Royal Assent by Governor Lord Glasgow on 19 September 1893. Women voted for the first time in the election held on 28 November 1893 (elections for the Māori electorates were held on 20 December).

Historical Significance

Women's suffrage was an important political issue in the late-nineteenth-century New Zealand.

Events Before

  1. Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12

    Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12 million people

  2. Manuel Roxas is born

    Manuel Roxas is born

  3. Painter Paul Gauguin marries Teha'amana, a 13-year-old Tahitian girl

    Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements.

  4. The rules of basketball are first published in Triangle magazine, written by James Naismith

    The rules of basketball are first published in Triangle magazine, written by James Naismith

  5. The Coca-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia

    The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892 headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Events After

  1. Denmark adopts Central European Time

    Central European Time (CET) is a standard time observed in Central as well as parts of Western and Southeast Europe, which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

  2. William Kennedy Dickson captures "Fred Ott's Sneeze" as a motion picture at Thomas Edison's Black Maria Studio in West O

    William Kennedy Dickson captures "Fred Ott's Sneeze" as a motion picture at Thomas Edison's Black Maria Studio in West Orange, New Jersey [1]

  3. 1st college basketball game, University of Chicago beats Chicago YMCA 19-11

    1st college basketball game, University of Chicago beats Chicago YMCA 19-11

  4. J. L. Johnstone of England invents the starting gate for horse racing

    J. L. Johnstone of England invents the starting gate for horse racing

  5. Jules Massenet's opera "Thaïs" premieres in Paris, includes piece “Méditation” for violin and orchestra

    "Méditation" (pronounced [meditasjɔ̃]) is a symphonic intermezzo from the opera Thaïs by French composer Jules Massenet. The piece is written for solo violin, orchestra and backstage chorus.

More from the 1890s

Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12

Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12 million people

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays

Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government

Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 28, 1893?
Women's suffrage was an important political issue in the late-nineteenth-century New Zealand. In early colonial New Zealand, as in other European societies, women were excluded from any involvement in politics. Public opinion began to change in the latter half of the nineteenth century and after years of effort by women's suffrage campaigners, led by Kate Sheppard, New Zealand became the first nation in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections.
Why is New Zealand women vote for the first time in a national election [1] significant?
Women's suffrage was an important political issue in the late-nineteenth-century New Zealand.

Explore More

November 28 in HistoryYear 1893