Centers of Progress, Pt. 24: Wellington (Suffrage)
Embark on a journey through time to Wellington, a city that played a pivotal role in the suffrage movement. Discover how this vibrant metropolis became a beacon of progress, shaping the course of history and empowering generations to come.
Center of Progress: Wellington
The windy bayside city has a population of just over 200,000 people and a reputation for trendy shops and cafes, seafood, quirky bars, and craft breweries.
- Wellington is best known as the capital city of New Zealand and the southernmost capital in the world. It is also a creative arts and technology center, famed for the nearby Weta Studios’ work.
New Zealand was the first country to give women the right to vote.
The suffrage movement was aided by widespread support from New Zealand’s men
- As a “colonial frontier” country, New Zealand had far more men than women
- Many New Zealanders believed that an influx of women would exert a stabilizing effect on society, lowering crime rates, decreasing rates of alcohol use, and improving morality
- Suffrage-supporters cast women as “moral citizens” and argued that a society where women could vote would become more virtuous
Suffrage movements abroad
While women voting and running for office may seem commonplace now, at the time, it was revolutionary.
- Spain only granted women universal suffrage in 1931
- France did so in 1945
- Switzerland waited until 1971
- Liechtenstein held out until 1984
- Saudi Arabia refused to budge until 2015
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