Opinion: We've come a long way in 125 years

Kate Sheppard - Social reformer, suffragist, writer and first president of National Council of Women in New Zealand. Photo / file

On this day 125 years ago, women across the country were jubilant at being granted the right to vote.

It was a victory for equality, a significant step on the path towards giving women the same rights enjoyed by men, although women couldn't stand for Parliament until 1919 and the first female MP wasn't elected until 1933.

It's a source of pride for many a New Zealander that our little country in the backwaters of the globe was the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote.

Fast forward 125 years, and we've had three female prime ministers and 38 per cent of the current parliament are women - the highest number New Zealand has had since women were first allowed to stand for Parliament.

For someone like me who came of age under Helen Clark, it's hard to imagine a time when women weren't thought to be suited to public life - with some even fearing that there would be terrible consequences if it were ever allowed to happen.

How things have changed! We've come so far in those years, although we still have a way to go before true equality between the sexes can be achieved - addressing domestic violence rates, closing the gender pay gap, tackling the high male suicide rate and bringing gender parity to custody arrangements, to name a few lofty goals.

Our suffragists exhibited such courage in an era when strong women were seen as going against their gender, and they've left some big shoes to fill.

It's their work that paved the way for women like myself to have careers and even move into positions of leadership.

As a mark of respect to the suffragists, I put my hand up to edit today's paper, my small acknowledgement of what those brave women achieved for everyday women like myself 125 years ago.

If it wasn't for them, I might not have reached the position of responsibility that I hold today as the head of news at the Bay of Plenty Times.

I hope they would look on in pride at how far we've come.