An International Comparison of Women’s Suffrage: The Cases of Finland and New Zealand in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century

2015/12/01 by Irma Sulkunen · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Australian History and Society #Canadian Identity and History #New Zealand Economic and Social Studies #Suffrage #Democratization #Ideology #Politics #Political science #Universal suffrage #Order (exchange) #Gender studies #Sociology #Political economy #History #Law #Democracy #Economics

paper · doi:10.1353/jowh.2015.0040

openalex publication_date 2015/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

The international history of women’s suffrage carries an intriguing paradox: the process of democratization that crossed the gender line was first set into motion in geographical peripheries. This article analyzes this paradox. Rather than building on generalizing ideological factors, the approach is guided by the actual order of events, which prioritizes an analysis of geographical peripheries, the small nations of New Zealand and Finland. By examining the social, cultural, and political factors of these two countries and taking the experiential reality of ordinary people, this study introduces new interpretations of the underpinnings of women’s suffrage and democratization in the Western world.

Cited by

• Kate Sheppard [wikipedia]

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