Suffrage Day – a time to celebrate and commit to further change

National Council of Women (NCW) Auckland branch is celebrating Suffrage Day at the Auckland Suffrage Memorial in Khartoum Place on Friday 18th September at 12.30pm.

The event marks 122 years since New Zealand women won the right to vote after vigorous campaigning by Suffragists like Kate Shepherd.

Much has changed for NZ women over this period but there are still many issues that remain significant barriers to achieving gender equality, says NCW Auckland President Carol Beaumont.

“Sexual and domestic violence, managing caring responsibilities, low and unequal pay, and the underrepresentation of women in leadership and governance are just some of the issues preventing us from achieving true equality.

“In the lead-up to Suffrage Day, we will be honouring Kate Sheppard and a number of her contemporaries, including Amey Daldy, Anne Ward, Lizzie Frost Rattray, Elisabeth Yates, Annie Jane Schnackenberg, Fanny Brown and Mrs Allsopp, at the Suffrage Memorial on Khartoum Place.

“We are ambitious for New Zealand and want to see the country honour these women and provide the leadership it did 122 years ago.”

Speaking at the event will be Mayor Len Brown on making Auckland the most liveable city for women; Annette Patterson President of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union on the significance of the Suffrage petition as a founding document of our country; Dr Valentina Cardo on the importance for democracy of women’s involvement in politics and Cr Cathy Casey celebrating women pioneers and urging us to honour them by being active at all levels.

“NCW Auckland is one of 20 Branches of the NCWNZ. We continue to work for gender equality across political, social and economic sectors because gender equality is a basic human right which is good for everybody”

ENDS

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