Jenny Shipley becomes the first woman Prime Minister
- When
- 8 December 1997
- Where
- Wellington · Te Whanganui-a-Tara
- Reach
- Nationwide
Shipley replaced Jim Bolger in a party-room coup. Two years later Helen Clark won an election outright, and a woman held the office continuously until 2008.
The 1999 election was contested by two women leading the major parties, and for a period New Zealand had a woman as Prime Minister, Governor-General, Chief Justice, Attorney-General and chief executive of its largest company. Coming 104 years after women won the vote, the milestone drew comment mainly for how unremarkable the public found it.
Regions affected
Sources
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Wellington