The signing of the 1893 Suffrage petition was a momentous achievement for wāhine in Aotearoa. It led to women winning the vote and was a key milestone in the fight for gender equality. New Zealand was the first in the world to achieve this.
But who were the 25,519 women who signed their names? For the most part, we know very little about them. Where did they live? Where did they come from? What were their lives like in 1893?
Central City Library in association with He Tohu lead curator, Stefanie Lash from Archives New Zealand, is delighted to present a background to the suffrage movement, the petition, and a first look at some of the wonderful women whose stories have been discovered so far.
Hear some inspirational tales about the Auckland women who signed and learn how you can help make more of these stories visible.
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