From Suffrage to a Seat in the House

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New Zealand proudly claims the title of the first country to enfranchise women, yet it took an additional 40 years for the first woman to be elected to Parliament. Women were not even eligible to stand as candidates in national elections until 1919, 26 years after gaining the right to vote. This progress faced resistance, exemplified by the Auckland Star's editor, who warned against the emergence of "aggressive females" seeking publicity. The journey "from the home to the House" was painfully slow, as many male parliamentarians, who reluctantly accepted women's suffrage, resisted further advancements. Their political maneuvers and filibustering proved effective in stalling progress. Eventually, with an additional 130,000 voters enrolled, politicians began to recognize the significance of women's votes and voices. It wasn't until 1933 that Elizabeth McCombs became the first woman elected to New Zealand Parliament, winning the Lyttelton seat after her husband's death. This history of women striving for political representation, often overlooked in the nation's electoral narrative, is meticulously explored in this essential work by Jenny Coleman, who utilizes a diverse range of sources to illustrate the tensions between emerging social change and the entrenched status quo in a rapidly evolving colonial society.