Story: Voting rights

Suffrage cartoons: cleaning up politics (2nd of 2)

Suffrage cartoons: cleaning up politics

Many of those who supported women’s suffrage believed that politics, like a dirty boy, would be cleaned up by women’s firm hand once the franchise was extended. In this 1893 cartoon, the moustachioed lad is wearing a badge saying ‘MHR’ (member of the House of Representatives) while being scrubbed with water from a bucket labelled ‘woman’s vote’.

Using this item

Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage, History Group
Reference: New Zealand Graphic, 18 November 1893
Cartoon by Ashley Hunter

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How to cite this page:

Neill Atkinson, 'Voting rights - Votes for women', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/cartoon/36438/suffrage-cartoons-cleaning-up-politics (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Neill Atkinson, published 20 Jun 2012, reviewed & revised 17 Feb 2015