Remarkable Global Firsts

New Zealand has much more to shout about than just global rugby dominance and hirsute heroes of the big screen, according to Kate Rowan of the Irish Independent. “Taking a look at New Zealand’s everyday banknotes helps to open eyes to what else the country has given the world. The ten dollar note tells a compelling a story of the image of Liverpool-born Kate Sheppard, who was a leading light of New Zealand’s women’s suffrage movement. In 1893, it was the first country to grant universal suffrage. Take into account that Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, that means that five highest offices of power were all occupied by women between March 2005 and August 2006, a remarkable global first.”