Young New Zealand

Pro-female suffrage propaganda postcard highlighting the contrast between Britain where women are denied the vote and the young nation of New Zealand where women have equal electoral rights with men.
Here Britain is typically represented by John Bull on an old fashioned penny farthing bicycle, the large wheel captioned 'male electors only,' the small wheel captioned womens municipal vote representing the small gain some women have made in the UK by achieving the vote in municipal elections. In contrast behind John Bull is a young girl representing the young nation of New Zealand on a modern two wheeled bicycle captioned 'Male and Female Equal Electoral Rights'.
In 1893 New Zealand became the first nation to extend the right to vote to all adult women. The irony of Britain's dominions leading the way in female rights whilst the Motherland lagged behind was often highlighted by pro-suffrage campaigners.

This postcard was designed by the suffrage artist Joan Harvey Drew, a member of the Artists' Suffrage League. Formed in 1907, the Artists' Suffrage League produced posters, postcards and other visual material to promote the Votes for Women message of the non-militant National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. The Chairman of the Artists' suffrage League was Mary Lowndes who also designed many of the banners used by the NUWSS in processions and demonstrations.