A big step forward was taken on this day 100-years ago
Exactly 100- years ago today, a momentous declaration was made in Irish History, as women were finally given the right to vote.
The law that changed things was called the Representation of the People Act, 1918.
However, the liberty wasn't extended to all women straight away... It was reserved for those over 30, who also held property rights or a university education. This represented only around 40% of women in Ireland.
It wasn't until 10-years later in 1928 that ALL women in Ireland gained full access to the vote.
The reason women weren't permitted to vote in the first place was due to The Great Reform Act of 1832, which restricted the parliamentary vote to ‘male persons’ only.
The fight to gain the right to vote (called suffrage) can be traced all the way back to 1847 in Ireland - When the first leaflet advocating for votes for women appeared.
A long and grueling 71-years later... the fight was won.
Below is a list of when women won the right to vote in other Countries around the world, there's certainly a few shocks in there!
1893 New Zealand
1902 Australia*
1906 Finland
1913 Norway
1915 Denmark
1917 Canada*
1918 Austria, Germany, Poland, Russia, Britain, Ireland
1919 Netherlands
1920 United States
1921 Sweden
1931 Spain
1934 Turkey
1944 France
1945 Italy
1947 Argentina, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan
1949 China
1950 India
1954 Columbia
1957 Malaysia, Zimbabwe
1962 Algeria
1963 Iran, Morocco
1964 Libya
1967 Equador
1971 Switzerland
1972 Bangladesh
1974 Jordan
1976 Portugal
1988 Namibia
1990 Western Samoa
1993 Kazahkstan, Moldova
1994 South Africa
2005 Kuwait
2006 United Arab Emirates
2011 Saudi Arabia
*Australian Aborigines, male and female, couldn't vote until 1962.
*Canadian First Nation Persons, male and female, couldn't vote until 1960.
