Kate Sheppard

@Women's Suffrage Leader, Facts and Life

Kate Sheppard was a social activist and an important leader of the women’s suffrage movement in New Zealand

Mar 10, 1847

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Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: March 10, 1847
  • Died on: July 13, 1934
  • Nationality: New Zealander
  • Famous: Women's Suffrage Leader, Feminists, Activists, Women's Rights Activists
  • Spouses: Walter Sheppard, William Sidney Lovell-Smith
  • Childrens: Douglas Sheppard
  • Birth Place: Liverpool, England

Kate Sheppard born at

Liverpool, England

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Birth Place

Several years after her father’s death, Kate’s family shifted to New Zealand.

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Personal Life

At the age of 24, she got married to Walter Allen Sheppard, a wealthy general merchant on 21 July 1871.

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Personal Life

Her husband was 12 years older to her and also a Councilor in Christchurch City during 1868. The couple was blessed with a son in 1880, who they named Douglas.

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Personal Life

Kate Sheppard was born on March 10, 1847 in Liverpool, England, to Scottish couple Jemima Crawford Souter and Andrew Wilson Malcolm.

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Childhood & Early life

Though christened as Katherine Wilson Malcolm, she was known by the name ‘Kate’.

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Childhood & Early life

In 1869, Sheppard and her siblings immigrated with their mother to Christchurch, New Zealand.

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Childhood & Early life

Kate spent few early years of her life with her uncle who was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland as a result of which her religious inclinations began from a young age.

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Career

As a result of her membership of the Trinity Congregational Church, she was involved with temperance activities.

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Career

In 1885, she participated in the temperance movement by forming the Women’s Christian Temperance Union which gradually began promoting the issue of women’s suffrage. Her sister, Isabella May was also an active participant of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and continuous support for Kate

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Career

Kate Sheppard’s struggle for women’s rights was broadly focused on the equality in the political arena and social reforms. She took lead on this issue and began condemning a society that promotes differences based on race, creed, and gender.

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Career

Being a very good cyclist, she also laid emphasis on physical activities and training for women. Her effort towards bringing change in the conservative dress code for women was also exemplary.

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Career

To commemorate Sheppard’s contribution towards women’s rights, a memorial was raised in her honor in Christchurch.

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Awards & Achievements

Her residence, the Fendalton house in 83, Clyde Road, which saw numerous women Suffrage activities, is registered as a Category I heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and popularly known as the Kate Sheppard House.

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Awards & Achievements

A number of houses in schools of New Zealand have been named after her like Christchurch South Intermediate, Cashmere High School, Christchurch Girls' High School, and Rangiora High School.

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Awards & Achievements

Her image also appears on New Zealand’s ten dollar note.

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Awards & Achievements

To commemorate 100 years for New Zealand women’s right to vote, the Kate Sheppard Memorial was built on september 19, 1993.

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Awards & Achievements