United States of America

House of RepresentativesSenate

House of Representatives

Historical data on women

Data on women’s right to vote and to stand for election, the date at which the first woman entered parliament, and female Heads of State or Government

Women's suffrage

Women’s right to vote
Women’s right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1920
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Universal
Notes Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
Even though African Americans were given the right to vote in 1870 with the 15th Amendment, the Supreme Court left to the state governments the responsibility for protecting most of the basic rights of their citizens, and some state governments passed laws that made it almost impossible for African Americans, to exercise their right.. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act confirmed that no person should be denied the right to vote on account of race or color. It must be noted that the State of Wyoming granted women the right to vote in 1869. Other States followed suite. The right to vote was granted at the federal level in 1920.
Women’s right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1965
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Universal
Notes Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
Reconfirming the right to vote for men and women alike (from 1920 onwards women had the same voting rights as men)
Women’s right to stand for election
Women's right to stand for election Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1788
National or local Stand for Election: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
Universal
Notes Stand for Election: Additional Notes on right to stand for election
The Constitution of 13 September 1788 does not mention sex with regard to the right to stand for election to either Houses of parliament.
First woman in parliament
First woman in parliament Year in which first woman entered parliament
1917
Notes
First woman speaker
Year of first woman speaker Date at which, for the first time in the country's parliamentary history, a woman became Presiding Officer of Parliament or of one of its Houses.
2007