In what year did women first gain the right to vote in national elections anywhere in the world?

  • A. 1869
  • B. 1893
  • C. 1906
  • D. 1920

💡 Need a hint?

Think of a country far outside Europe, which at the time was still under British rule. It took this step as early as the nineteenth century, and that surprises most people quite a bit.

✅ View the answer

The correct answer is B. 1893.

On September 19, 1893, the British Governor of New Zealand signed the Electoral Act, granting women the right to vote in national elections. New Zealand thus became the first self-governing country in the world to grant this right. And it didn’t remain just theory: as early as November 28 of that same year, thousands of women actually went to the polls.

For comparison: 1869 refers to Wyoming, but that was an American state, not a sovereign country. Finland followed in 1906 as the first European nation, and the United States only introduced women’s suffrage at the national level in 1920.

📚 More background information

Behind this historic moment stands a woman that many people don’t know but absolutely should: Kate Sheppard. She led the campaign for women’s suffrage in New Zealand for many years and organized mass petitions to put pressure on politicians. The 1893 petition gathered more than 31,000 signatures, representing nearly a quarter of all women in the country. Her quote “Do not think your single vote does not matter much” still feels remarkably relevant today.

Something worth noting that many people are unaware of: although New Zealand granted women the right to vote, women there were not allowed to stand for election to parliament until 1919. Two separate milestones, then, with 26 years between them.

And Europe? It lagged significantly behind. Finland managed it in 1906, Norway in 1913, and the Netherlands not until 1919. But the most surprising example remains Switzerland, a country widely known for its direct democracy. Women there were only allowed to vote nationally in 1971. 1971! That fact genuinely stops most people in their tracks.