Women's suffrage in Newfoundland

The Newfoundland women’s suffrage movement began in the 1890s and was closely linked to the prohibition movement. In September 1890, a local branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) formed in St. John’s. The WCTU also circulated a petition across the island of Newfoundland, demanding the women be given the right to vote in local option elections. On March 18, 1891, WCTU members marched to the Colonial Building and gave the petition to the government. The Newfoundland legislature debated enfranchising women on March 15, 1892, but defeated the motion in a vote of 13 to ten. Another vote on May 4, 1893 was also unsuccessful, with 17 votes against the suffrage bill and 14 in favor. The WCTU then stopped advocating for suffrage and turned its attention to missionary and charitable work. == Second Wave of the Suffrage Movement ==

Although the WCTU was no longer fighting for women’s suffrage, the topic did not entirely disappear from the public consciousness. Suffragists were active in other parts of the world, and news of their work was reported in Newfoundland newspapers and debated in local clubs and societies. However, most clubs were fraternal and barred women. In response, a group of St. John’s women formed the Ladies Reading Room in 1909 to give women a space to discuss current affairs and read international journals and newspapers. In 1920, Armine Gosling, Adeline Browning, and Anna Mitchell founded the Newfoundland Women’s Franchise League. Browning was also London representative to the International Woman Suffrage Alliance. It was not, however, a total success: women could become voters at the age of 25, while men could vote at the age of 21. Nonetheless, suffragists hailed the new law as a victory and the Women’s Franchise League changed its name to The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan organization that promoted such social issues as compulsory education, child welfare, and maternal health. == References ==