Kate Sheppard

Common card · No. 225059

Katherine Wilson Sheppard (born Catherine Wilson Malcolm; 10 March 1848 – 13 July 1934) was a New Zealand suffragist known for organising the 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition which resulted in New Zealand becoming the first country to establish universal suffrage. Born in Liverpool, England, she emigrated to New Zealand with her family in 1868. There she became an active member of various religious and social organisations, including the Women's Christian Temperance Union New Zealand (WCTU NZ). In 1887 she was appointed the WCTU NZ's National Superintendent for Franchise and Legislation, a position she used to advance the cause of women's suffrage in New Zealand. Sheppard promoted women's suffrage by organising petitions and public meetings, by writing letters to the press, and by developing contacts with politicians. She was the editor of The White Ribbon, the first woman-operated newspaper in New Zealand. Through her skilful writing and persuasive public speaking, she successfully advocated...

Read on Wikipedia · Image H. H. Clifford, see https://collection.canterburymuseum.com/objects/243177/glass-plate-negative-kate-w-sheppard, Public domain