New Zealand women were the first in the world to be granted the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The Electoral Act enabling this was passed on 19 September 1893. However, it wasn’t until 1919 that they won the right to stand for parliament. Again, progress was slow. In 1933, 40 years after the vote had been granted them, New Zealand women finally had their first woman member of parliament.

New Zealand’s first woman MP, or Member of Parliament, was Elizabeth McCombs. Her husband, James McCombs, was Member of Parliament for the Lyttelton electorate from 1913 until his death in 1933. After his death Mrs McCombs was chosen to stand in the by-election and won the seat with a majority of 2600 votes. She kept this seat until shortly before her own death at the age of 61 years on 7 June 1935.

Mrs McCombs had been politically active before her election. She was an ardent socialist and prohibitionist. Her initial involvement was with the Progressive Liberal Association, which had the goals of increasing the political rights of women. Her active involvement in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union led to her becoming president of the Canterbury branch.

Mrs McCombs was involved in local politics prior to becoming a Member of Parliament. She was active in a number of local organizations, including hospital boards and numerous charities. She became the second woman voted onto the Christchurch City Council in 1921 and remained a councilor until she stepped down shortly before her death in 1935. As chairman of the Electricity Committee she reduced the cost of electricity to the consumer.  She was also on the Hospital Board and the Tramways Board. Before her successful election in 1933, Mrs McCombs had stood unsuccessfully in two parliamentary elections.

As Member of Parliament, Mrs McCombs was a good speaker and a conscientious worker. She spoke out on a number of issues, mainly those involving women’s rights and welfare. Among the causes she promoted were equal pay for women, changes to the employment policy to benefit women and also recruitment of women into the police force.

Although ill health shortened Mrs McCombs term in office, she opened the way for the acceptance of women MPs in New Zealand. She demonstrated that New Zealand women could not only be elected into office, but they could also make a difference. Almost a third of New Zealand’s elected MPs in 2005 were women. Women have held the key positions of Prime Minister, Governor General, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Justice in recent years.

The family tradition of politics continued, as Mrs McCombs was succeeded by her son Terence McCombs, who held the seat until 1951.

Author note: Unfortunately, the only images I could find of Elizabeth McCombs were all subject to copyright.

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