Gallantry, 1879

Gallantry, 1879

The caption to the above cartoon reads:

First "Gentleman" - "oh, come and have a drink, Bob; we haven't had a drink together for a long time."
Second do - "Yes, but, er - how about the - er - lady, eh?"
First do - "Oh, that's all right, it's ONLY my WIFE! Come along!"

The passing of the Married Women's Property Act in 1884 represented another significant move towards gender equality. Married women could now own and dispose of property in their own right.

The Act essentially recognised the legal existence of women, but it also reflected a changing social status. Women were granted power to control their own lives, to be more than 'ONLY my WIFE'.

These issues were thoroughly discussed and analysed in cartoons and newspaper articles of the period. The Hawera & Normanby Star argued in 1884 that through this new law: "the gentler sex are protected in great measure, yet they in the same proportion incur greater responsibilities, and enjoy some of the higher privileges of citizenship."

Read this article from The Hawera & Normanby Star - Papers Past website

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