18 December 2019 is the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage.
The Adult Suffrage Bill passed on 18 December 1894, awarding South Australian women the right to vote in general elections and to stand for parliament – for the first time anywhere in Australia.
Being able to vote is a key part of citizenship and allows each person to have their say about what is important to them and what they think their lives should be like.
The theme for the 125th anniversary is “Their triumph, our motivation”. It recognises how the extraordinary efforts of the suffragists in the late 19th and early 20th century drive our continued efforts in working towards gender equality. Achieving women’s suffrage was the end result of years of campaigning by dedicated women and men, including the South Australian Women’s Suffrage League and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
Gaining the vote was a huge step towards gender equality and positive change for women in South Australia. The first election in Australia to include women voters was the South Australian state election on 25 April 1895.
This panel will discuss the work that has gone on in the last 125 years and the progress that has been made since 1894.