According to historical standards, Suffragette, or the right of women to vote in elections, is a relatively new phenomenon in the contemporary world. The state of New Jersey experimented with women’s suffrage between 1776 and 1807.
Still, it wasn’t until 1838 that the first permanent establishment of women’s suffrage in a full province (Pitcairn Islands) was established—and most sources agree that no fully sovereign nation would follow suit until Norway in 1913, barely a century ago.
Today’s scenario is different than it was yesterday. In every nation and territory except Vatican City, where only Catholic Church cardinals, all of whom must be male, may vote for the pope, women now have the right to vote.
However, it is important to note that possessing the legal right to vote does not necessarily ensure the chance to vote. Despite having the legal right to vote, women in certain countries face discrimination, harassment, violence at the polls, or even pressure from their partners.
Countries where women are not allowed to vote
| Country | Legal? | Impediments |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | yes | Women could be banned for wearing “revealing” attire in 2015. Muslim women must remove their niqab (a mask-like veil) to vote, but many women are afraid to do so as it is a cultural taboo. |
| Kenya | yes | Kenyan women are not allowed to take long walks (such as to the polls) and pregnant women are forbidden from leaving the house. High rates of disease and a history of election-related violence also keep women at home. |
| Nigeria | yes | Many women feel their vote doesn’t count, so they don’t vote. Approximately 8% of the National Assembly is female. |
| Oman | yes | Women must vote as their husbands do or risk divorce, which is a death sentence socially and economically for many women. Since women began voting in 2003, they have won two of the 83 seats on the Oman Consultative Council. |
| Pakistan | yes | Husbands can prevent wives from voting, and violence at the polls is prevalent. |
| Papua New Guinea | yes | Women are often too afraid to vote. Approximately seven women have held office since 1975. |
| Qatar | yes | Social restrictions are harsher than the laws in Qatar. Elections are frequently suspended under Sharia Law, which is oppressive to women, who won one of 29 seats in one of the most recent elections. |
| Saudi Arabia | yes | Baseless arrests and torture are common. Elections are extremely rare and King Abdullah has the power to overturn any result. |
| Tanzania (Zanzibar) | yes | Women in Zanzibar, an autonomous region in Tanzania, fear forced divorce if they vote when their husband tells them not to. Violence at the polls is also a concern. |
| Uganda | yes | Women are oppressed from voting in a number of ways. Violence is one, being ordered to stay home and do chores is another. |
Also See: Countries Where Weed Is Illegal 2022
The number of women running for and serving in public office shows whether a nation is successfully enabling women to vote. Women’s voting rights and experiences may be subject to increased scrutiny in areas with low representation of women in public office.
Oppression of equal opportunity
Men’s and women’s voting rights are equally restricted in just a few nations. When it comes to elections, Brunei hasn’t had one since 1962, and the United Arab Emirates just had an election in which only 12 percent of men and women were allowed to vote.
Most nations and territories around the globe have granted women the right to vote at some point. Women’s suffrage has been recognized and supported by society in these nations, from those where voting is still difficult for women to those in which it is widely accepted and supported.
| Country | Date Full Suffrage Gained | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1964 | |
| Albania | 1945 | |
| Algeria | 1962 | |
| Andorra | 1970 | |
| Angola | 1975 | |
| Anguilla | 1951 | As British Leeward Islands |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1951 | As British Leeward Islands |
| Argentina | 1947 | |
| Armenia | 1919 | |
| Aruba | 1949 | As Netherlands Antilles |
| Australia | 1962 | 1894 for some colonies, 1902 for full territory (non-indigenous voters), 1962 for indigenous/aborigine voters |
| Austria | 1918 | |
| Azerbaijan | 1918 | |
| Bahamas | 1960 | |
| Bahrain | 2002 | No elections from 1973 to 2002 |
| Bangladesh | 1971 | |
| Barbados | 1950 | |
| Belarus | 1919 | |
| Belgium | 1948 | 1919 for communal voting, 1948 for provincial councils and the national parliament |
| Belize | 1954 | As British Honduras |
| Benin | 1956 | As Dahomey |
| Bermuda | 1944 | |
| Bhutan | 1953 | |
| Bolivia | 1952 | In 1938 for literate/high income women, 1952 for all |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1990 | As Yugoslavia. 1945 in theory, 1990 in actual practice |
| Botswana | 1965 | |
| Brazil | 1932 | |
| British Virgin Islands | 1951 | As British Leeward Islands |
| Brunei | 1959 | No national elections since 1962. Men and women can vote in local elections |
| Bulgaria | 1944 | 1937 for wives and widows in local elections, 1944 for all in all elections |
| Burkina Faso | 1958 | As Upper Volta |
| Burundi | 1961 | |
| Cambodia | 1955 | |
| Cameroon | 1946 | As British Cameroons |
| Canada | 1960 | 1916-1940 for various provinces, 1960 for aboriginal women |
| Cape Verde | 1975 | |
| Cayman Islands | 1957 | |
| Central African Republic | 1986 | |
| Chad | 1958 | |
| Chile | 1949 | 1934 for literate women and local elections |
| China | 1949 | |
| Colombia | 1954 | |
| Comoros | 1956 | |
| Cook Islands | 1893 | |
| Costa Rica | 1949 | |
| Croatia | 1990 | As Yugoslavia. 1945 in theory, 1990 in actual practice |
| Cuba | 1934 | |
| Curacao | 1949 | As Netherlands Antilles |
| Cyprus | 1960 | |
| Czech Republic | 1920 | As Czechoslovakia |
| Denmark | 1915 | 1908 for local elections, 1915 for national |
| Djibouti | 1946 | |
| Dominica | 1951 | As British Windward Islands |
| Dominican Republic | 1942 | |
| DR Congo | 1967 | As Zaire |
| Ecuador | 1967 | Limited suffrage for women 1929, equal for both genders in 1967 |
| Egypt | 1956 | Women are often deterred from voting though social pressure and intimidation |
| El Salvador | 1950 | 1939 for literate older women, 1950 for all |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1963 | Country has been a one-party state without free or fair elections since 1987 |
| Eritrea | Country was established in 1993 and has never held a national election. Local elections are considered free and fair | |
| Estonia | 1917 | As a governate of Russia |
| Eswatini | 1968 | As Swaziland. Country is an absolute monarchy with a questionable voting process and low voter turnout |
| Ethiopia | 1955 | |
| Faroe Islands | 1915 | As Denmark. 1908 for local elections, 1915 for national |
| Fiji | 1963 | |
| Finland | 1906 | Country was technically part of Russia at the time, became independent in 1917. |
| France | 1944 | |
| Gabon | 1956 | |
| Gambia | 1960 | |
| Georgia | 1918 | |
| Germany | 1918 | |
| Ghana | 1954 | |
| Greece | 1952 | 1930 for literate women in local elections, 1952 for all |
| Greenland | 1948 | |
| Grenada | 1951 | As British Windward Islands |
| Guatemala | 1965 | 1945 if literate. 1965 for all |
| Guinea | 1958 | |
| Guinea-Bissau | 1977 | |
| Guyana | 1953 | |
| Haiti | 1950 | |
| Honduras | 1955 | |
| Hong Kong | 1949 | |
| Hungary | 1945 | 1919 for women 30 and up who met educational and economical criteria. 1945 for all |
| Iceland | 1920 | As Denmark. 1908 for local elections, 1915 for national for women 40+, 1920 for all |
| India | 1947 | 1935 for married or literate women, 1947 for all |
| Indonesia | 1945 | 1937 for Europeans, 1945 for all |
| Iran | 1963 | Women in Iranian Azerbaijan previously enjoyed suffrage for one year as unrecognized Soviet puppet state from 1945-1946 |
| Iraq | 1948 | free elections were held for first time in 2005 |
| Ireland | 1922 | 1918 for women aged 30+ who met qualifications, 1922 for all |
| Isle of Man | 1881 | |
| Israel | 1948 | 1920 for Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1948 for all |
| Italy | 1945 | 1925 for local elections. 1945 for all |
| Ivory Coast | 1952 | |
| Jamaica | 1944 | |
| Japan | 1946 | |
| Jordan | 1974 | |
| Kazakhstan | 1924 | |
| Kenya | 1963 | Disease, restictions on women's freedom of movement, and fear of violence unofficially restrict voting access |
| Kiribati | 1967 | |
| Kuwait | 2005 | Requires 20 years Kuwaiti citizenship |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1918 | |
| Laos | 1958 | |
| Latvia | 1917 | |
| Lebanon | 1952 | 1952 for women with elementary school education, 1957 for all |
| Lesotho | 1965 | |
| Liberia | 1946 | |
| Libya | 1963 | 1951 for local, 1963 for all |
| Liechtenstein | 1984 | |
| Lithuania | 1918 | |
| Luxembourg | 1919 | |
| Madagascar | 1959 | |
| Malawi | 1961 | |
| Malaysia | 1955 | As Federation of Malaya |
| Maldives | 1932 | |
| Mali | 1956 | |
| Malta | 1947 | |
| Marshall Islands | 1979 | |
| Mauritania | 1961 | |
| Mauritius | 1956 | |
| Mexico | 1953 | |
| Micronesia | 1979 | |
| Moldova | 1940 | 1929 for qualifying women & local elections, 1940 (establishment of new country) for all |
| Monaco | 1962 | |
| Mongolia | 1924 | |
| Montenegro | 1990 | As Yugoslavia. 1945 in theory, 1990 in actual practice |
| Montserrat | 1951 | As British Leeward Islands |
| Morocco | 1963 | |
| Mozambique | 1975 | |
| Myanmar | 1922 | |
| Namibia | 1989 | Upon establishing independence |
| Nauru | 1968 | |
| Nepal | 1951 | Upon becoming democracy |
| Netherlands | 1919 | |
| New Zealand | 1893 | |
| Nicaragua | 1955 | |
| Niger | 1948 | |
| Nigeria | 1958 | Many women feel disenfranchised and do not vote |
| North Korea | 1946 | |
| North Macedonia | 1990 | As Yugoslavia. 1945 in theory, 1990 in actual practice |
| Norway | 1913 | |
| Oman | 1994 | Country is an absolute monarchy; elections select only an assembly of consultants to the sultan. Women risk divorce if they defy husband's voting guidance |
| Pakistan | 1947 | Upon establishment of country. Husbands and village elders can prevent wives from voting, violence at polls is common |
| Palau | 1979 | |
| Palestine | 1996 | 1972 for local elections, 1996 for parliament. No elections since 2006 |
| Panama | 1946 | 1941 for well-educated females, 1946 for all |
| Papua New Guinea | 1964 | Women fear repercussions of voting and often decline to take the risk |
| Paraguay | 1961 | |
| Peru | 1955 | |
| Philippines | 1937 | |
| Poland | 1918 | |
| Portugal | 1976 | 1911 with restrictions, rescinded, 1931 with restrictions, 1976 for all |
| Puerto Rico | 1935 | 1929 for literate, 1935 for all |
| Qatar | 1997 | General elections had been repeatedly delayed from 2013-2021. Voting still restricted for naturalized citizens and members of Al Murrah tribe, but is not gender-specific |
| Republic of the Congo | 1963 | |
| Romania | 1946 | 1929 for qualified females and local elections. 1938 with restrictions for national elections. 1946 for all |
| Russia | 1917 | |
| Rwanda | 1961 | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1951 | As British Leeward Islands |
| Saint Lucia | 1951 | As British Windward Islands |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1951 | As British Windward Islands |
| Samoa | 1990 | |
| San Marino | 1959 | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 1975 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 2015 | Granted 2011, not realized until 2015. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy that rarely holds national elections and in which women's suffrage is still heavily debated |
| Senegal | 1945 | |
| Serbia | 1990 | As Yugoslavia. 1945 in theory, 1990 in actual practice |
| Seychelles | 1948 | |
| Sierra Leone | 1961 | Women could vote in the 1790s, when Sierra Leone was a British colony |
| Singapore | 1947 | |
| Sint Maarten | 1949 | As Netherlands Antilles |
| Slovakia | 1920 | As Czechoslovakia |
| Slovenia | 1990 | As Yugoslavia. 1945 in theory, 1990 in actual practice |
| Solomon Islands | 1974 | |
| Somalia | 1956 | |
| South Africa | 1994 | 1930 for Europeans and Asians, 1994 for all |
| South Korea | 1948 | |
| Spain | 1977 | Granted 1924-1926, but no elections were held. Re-granted in 1931, revoked 1939. Re-established 1977 |
| Sri Lanka | 1931 | As Ceylon |
| Sudan | 1964 | |
| Suriname | 1948 | |
| Sweden | 1919 | |
| Switzerland | 1971 | 1959 for local elections in Vaud and Neuchâtel, 1989 for Appenzell Ausserrhoden, 1990 for Appenzell Innerrhoden. 1971 for national elections |
| Syria | 1949 | |
| Taiwan | 1947 | As part of mainland China |
| Tajikistan | 1924 | |
| Tanzania | 1959 | Women in the Zanzibar region often fear divorce and/or violence at the polls if they vote |
| Thailand | 1932 | |
| Timor-Leste | 1976 | |
| Togo | 1945 | |
| Tonga | 1960 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1945 | 1925 for men over 21 and women over 30, 1945 for all |
| Tunisia | 1957 | |
| Turkey | 1934 | 1930 for local elections, 1934 for all |
| Turkmenistan | 1924 | |
| Tuvalu | 1967 | |
| Uganda | 1962 | Women are often discouraged from voting, sometimes violently |
| Ukraine | 1917 | As the Ukrainian People's Republic |
| United Arab Emirates | 2006 | Country is authoritative constitutional monarchy; elections select only an assembly of consultants to the Federal Supreme Council |
| United Kingdom | 1928 | 1918 for qualified women aged 30+, 1928 for all |
| United States | 1965 | 1920 according to the Nineteenth Amendment (and earlier in some states), but some southern states withheld the vote from black voters of both genders until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 1936 | Voting required men and women to have minimum $300 income, but was not gender-specific |
| Uruguay | 1917 | Universal suffrage granted 1917, no election held until 1927 |
| Uzbekistan | 1938 | |
| Vanuatu | 1975 | |
| Vatican City | 0 | Lacks female suffrage. Vatican City is a monarchy in which the only elections are to elect the Pope, and the only eligible voters are Catholic cardinals, who are required to be male. Women, in fact, comprise less than 6% of the Vatican City's population |
| Venezuela | 1946 | Elections in Venezuela are widely disputed, with both major parties claiming to be the legitimate government after the 2019 election |
| Vietnam | 1946 | As North Vietnam |
| Yemen | 1970 | As South Yemen (1967) and North Yemen (1970) |
| Zambia | 1962 | As Northern Rhodesia |
| Zimbabwe | 1978 | As Southern Rhodesia. 1919 for white women, 1978 for all |
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