Women's suffrage in the Cayman Islands was granted in 1959. Women created two separate petitions for
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
and sent them to the government in 1948 and in 1957 to request the right to vote. The right to vote in the
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...
was signed into law as Law 2 of 1959.
History
The fight for
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
in the
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...
began in
George Town, when 24 women sent a letter to the Commissioner on 19 August 1948, informing him that they intended to vote.
There had been no law preventing women from voting, but they still had not been voting in elections.
The wording of existing laws used the word "people" which the women who wrote the 1948 petition drew on, pointing out that this did not exclude women. This first group of women was not allowed to vote, being "told they did not have a constitutional right to vote."
There was also the custom of the word people only applying to men.
In 1954, the issue of women participating in elections was brought up to the Colonial Secretary by Acting Attorney General, I.H. Cruchley. Cruchley argued that "words importing the masculine gender shall include females."
Another petition for the right to vote was sent on 29 May 1957 and had 358 signatures.
This petition was given to the
Legislative Assembly of Justices and Vestrymen.
The Colonial Secretary requested that a law be formed to regarding the rights of women to vote. The legislative assembly also agreed that women should be allowed to vote, deciding in October 1958. On 8 December 1958, a law was passed that removed any disqualifications for women to vote. This law became Law 2 of 1959.
See also
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Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom
A movement to fight for women's right to vote in the United Kingdom finally succeeded through acts of Parliament in 1918 and 1928. It became a national movement in the Victorian era. Women were not explicitly banned from voting in Great Britai ...
References
Sources
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{{North America in topic, Women's suffrage in
1959 establishments in the Cayman Islands
Women's suffrage by country
Cayman Islands
Women's rights in the Cayman Islands