18 September 2008

Suffrage Day Enrol To Vote

The Suffrage Day message this year from the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) is to enrol to vote in this year’s General Election.
NCWNZ is aware that 245,500 people are still not enrolled to vote; Wednesday 8 October is the last day to enrol if they want to have their say in this year’s election.

“Women campaigned hard 115 years ago to get all New Zealand women the right to vote. As women now make up 51 percent of voters, it is important that, if they want Parliament to reflect their community, they need to enrol to vote on 8 November,” says NCWNZ National President, Christine Low.

NCWNZ is impressed that many of the political parties are, to some degree, implementing the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee recommendation that Maori, Pacific, Asian and other minority group women are encouraged to participate and stand in this year’s General Election.

“Since women were first allowed the right to be elected to Parliament in 1919, New Zealand has had 98 women elected from across the political spectrum. NCWNZ would like to see the number of women elected into Parliament increase this coming election’, says Christine Low.

ENDS

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