New Zealand was the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote in national elections.
The Electoral Act 1893 became law on September 19, 1893, after a sustained campaign led by suffrage activists including Kate Sheppard. Women voted in New Zealand's general election later that year, held on November 28 and December 20 for different electorates.
The law enfranchised women but did not initially allow them to stand for Parliament. New Zealand women gained the right to be elected as MPs in 1919, and Elizabeth McCombs became the first woman elected to Parliament in 1933.
Some earlier jurisdictions granted women limited voting rights or allowed voting in local elections. New Zealand's distinction refers to a self-governing country granting women the vote in national parliamentary elections, not to every form of voting worldwide.