Suffrage Memorial

Suffrage Memorial Review

At this writing this bronze memorial wall, unveiled in 1993 and commemorating 100 years of votes for women, is still inside the earthquake cordon. New Zealand was the first country in the world to grant women the vote, and Christchurch resident Kate Sheppard played a key role in petitioning Parliament for this essential right. The vote for all women over 21, including Maori women, was granted on September 19, 1893; the work of Sheppard and other activists is celebrated each year on that date at the memorial. It will be accessible once the cordon is lifted.