The Kate Sheppard Memorial celebrates the achievements and legacy of the New Zealand suffrage movement. It is the first and only monument in the country that honors the movement. Unveiled by Dame Catherine Tizard, the Governor-General of New Zealand (the first woman in this position) on 19 September 1993, one hundred years from the day the bill was signed and the New Zealand women won their voting rights, their first step towards equality. On this day in 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which all women could vote. The New Zealand artist Margriet Windhausen designed and created the life-size bronze relief. The six suffrage leaders depicted in action, carrying their petition to Parliament in a wooden cart. Plaques on the sides of the sculpture show scenes of daily women’s chores at the end of the 19th century. Next are plaques that tell the story of the struggle. It ends with a quote by The White Ribbon editor, Nelly Perryman- “We, the mothers of the present, need to impress upon our children’s minds how women of the past wrestled and fought, suffered and wept, prayed and believed, agonized and won for them the freedom they enjoy today.” The six leaders depicted in the memorial (from left to right) are: Helen Nicol (1854-1932) a women’s suffrage leader from Dunedin Kate Sheppard (1848-1934) is the country’s most famous suffragist. Sheppard organized petitions and public meetings. She wrote letters and articles to the press and worked with politicians to approve the bill. She was also the editor of the first woman-operated newspaper in New Zealand, The White Ribbon. Ada Wells (1863-1933) was an educator, a social reformer, and one of the leading organizers of the movement activities. Harriet Morison (1862-1925) was one of the leaders of the union of female workers and a suffragist. Meri Mangakāhia of Te Tai Tokerau (1868-1920) was a Māori leader who advocated in Te Kotahitanga (the Māori parliament) for women’s suffrage and promoted women’s rights in the Māori communities. Amey Daldy (1829 –1920) was the co-founder of the Auckland branch of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand and a women’s rights activist. The memorial stands at the Kate Sheppard National Memorial Reserve. Nearby is the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, where you can walk along the Kate Sheppard Memorial Walk. A path along the river, surrounded by camellia bushes (white camellias were the symbol of the suffragists). The camellias were a donation by women’s groups around New Zealand to celebrate of 100 years of women’s suffrage in New Zealand. The memorial can be visited with this guided tour – Christchurch City Sightseeing Tour Read more...