#100years: 5 TOP First Countries to Pass Suffrage Laws

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Today UK is celebrating a century since some women could vote.

The Representation of the People Act was adopted in February 1918, giving the right for women who were over 30 years, had a territory and were married to men with land.

See on Nexter.org the list of 5 first countries to give women the right to vote.

#100years

In 1918 some women were allowed to vote in UK. Universal suffrage for women over the age of 21 was introduced in 1928.

Cathy Newman, an English journalist, and presenter of Channel 4 News, has commented on the holiday:

100 years since women got the vote, fewer than 1/3 of MPs are female, all chancellors to date have been men, more than 90% of PLC executive directors are men & women are yet to serve in close combat roles (though some are in training). History still needs to be made! #100years

— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) February 5, 2018

5 first countries

Unfortunately, the world wasn’t the same even a century ago. Women weren’t always allowed to vote, but one day everything had changed.

One by one, countries from across the globe started adopting a law giving women a right to vote.

This is a great data piece on #Vote100 by the supremely talented @karadaniellefox. Shows just how far the UK has come…and how far it has to go. https://t.co/YYWD1gHVFl … #100years pic.twitter.com/sMfL6SFxRy

— James Masters (@Masters_JamesD) February 6, 2018

1. New Zealand

In 1893, New Zealand was the first independent country to adopt a right for women to vote. However, women weren’t allowed to hold office in Parliament.

2. Australia

Australia followed New Zealand and also gave women an opportunity to vote. This happened in 1902, but not all women were on the list – aboriginal women still hadn’t had the suffrage.

3. Finland

Finland was the first European country to pass suffrage laws in 1906. Also, it was the first country in the world granted women the right to stand for parliament.

4. Norway

Since 1911, some women had a chance to pay taxes or be married to a man who paid it for them in order to have a right to vote.

Later, Norway adopted a new law granting women suffrage in 1913, owning to Gina Krog, the feminist pioneer.

5. Denmark

The last on our list, Denmark passed suffrage laws only in 1915, when women established the Women’s Suffrage Association and fought for their right to vote.