Introducing the Women's Suffrage PetitionIntroducing the Women's Suffrage Petition

In 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world with universal suffrage: all New Zealand women now had the right to vote. This achievement owed much to an extraordinary document: the 1893 Women s Suffrage Petition. Over 270 metres long, with the signatures of some 24,000 women (and at least twenty men), the Suffrage Petition represents the culmination of many years of campaigning by suffragists, led by Kate Sheppard, and women throughout the country. The content of this short book is derived directly from the larger illustrated publication, foregoing all illustrations to suit the BWB Texts format.