which country gave women the vote first

The first country to give women the right to vote was New Zealand in 1893. It was the first self-governing country in the world to grant all adult women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. This achievement was largely due to the efforts of activists like Kate Sheppard. However, it should be noted that women in New Zealand could not stand for election until 1919. Following New Zealand, other places such as the Cook Islands (then a British protectorate) also granted women voting rights soon after in 1893, and South Australia extended voting and eligibility to stand for office in 1895.