Which country gave women the right to vote nationally first, in 1893?

New Zealand was the first self-governing country to give women the right to vote nationally, in 1893. The Electoral Act became law on 19 September, after a sustained campaign led by suffragists including Kate Sheppard.

New Zealand women could vote in parliamentary elections, but they initially could not stand for Parliament. That restriction ended in 1919, and Elizabeth McCombs became the first woman elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in 1933.

The 1893 reform followed several unsuccessful petitions and temperance-organized campaigns. It did not create equal political participation for everyone: Māori women gained the vote under the same parliamentary franchise, while many other groups around the world remained excluded for decades. Australia followed with federal voting legislation in 1902, although Indigenous Australians faced discriminatory restrictions.