Doing It for Themselves: Women Fight for EqualityTe Tohe mō ngā Take Wāhine

Explore stories that highlight diverse women’s experiences as they have made positive changes for themselves, their whānau, and their communities.

What do Te Papa’s five Kates (well, four Kates and a Katie) have to say about their famous namesake, Kate Sheppard, who successfully led the quest for New Zealand women to gain the right to vote 125 years ago this year?

Exploring 125 years of women's suffrage in New Zealand, and the challenges that women face in a society where the rules continue to shift.

Iwi development manager Migoto Eria looks at the relationship between Heretaunga chief Hēnare Tōmoana and his wife Ākenehi Pātoka, who signed the suffrage petition in 1893, and reflects on the synergy between wahine (women) and whenua (land).

‘Ultra Violet 18-3838’ is 2018’s ‘colour of the year’, as selected by Pantone Color Institute. History curator Kirstie Ross looks at the symbolism of purple from ancient Rome to the fight for women’s rights.

History curator Katie Cooper discusses some of the objects in our collection that highlight challenges or milestones in the fight for women’s rights. She asks, what do you think we should collect to mark the anniversary of the suffrage movement?

“A woman on a bicycle – legs astride – threatened 19th-century definitions of feminine respectability.” History Curator Claire Regnault dives into the contentious history of ladies on bicycles.

In 1892, the year before Louisa Herrmann signed the Women’s suffrage petition, her life was turned upside down. Louisa’s is an inspiring story for girls of all ages. Curator Historical Photography Lissa Mitchell shares her story.