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Happy Women's Suffrage Day!
Sep. 19th, 2011 11:10 pm
118 years ago New Zealand women achieved equal suffrage. Spearheaded by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, activists like Kate Sheppard, Meri Mangakāhia, Ada Wells, Anna Stout, and Wilhemina Bain knew that in order to have fair, well-rounded, true and, basically, good law and policy, all parts of society needed to have a voice in lawmaking.
(Above: Meri Mangakāhia and Kate Sheppard.)
And not to beat a drum too hard, but in November we have a chance to affirm their legacy by voting to retain MMP, a proportional system which leads to a more diverse Parliament - a Parliament that makes better legislation.
New Zealand's first woman MP, Elizabeth McCombs, wasn't elected until the 1930s. In the early 90s under FPP women were only 20% of MPs. Under MMP that number rose to 30%, and it also heralded the first Pacific and Asian Cabinet ministers (among others). An MMP parliament looks, simply, more like New Zealand. Don't get complacent. Even if you don't want to vote this year, make MMP your reason.
Don't let them down.
