There she became an active member of various religious and social organisations, including the Women's Christian Temperance Union New Zealand (WCTU NZ).

In 1887 she was appointed the WCTU NZ's National Superintendent for Franchise and Legislation, a position she used to advance the cause of women's suffrage in New Zealand.

Kate Sheppard promoted women's suffrage by organising petitions and public meetings, by writing letters to the press, and by developing contacts with politicians.

[7] After her father's death, Kate lived with her uncle, a minister of the Free Church of Scotland at Nairn;[8] he, more than anyone else, instilled in her the values of Christian socialism.

Marie's accounts of Christchurch motivated Jemima to move her family to New Zealand, as she was seeking better prospects for her sons' employment and wanted to see her granddaughter.

[11][b] Kate became part of Christchurch's intellectual and social scenes, and spent time with Marie and George's growing family.

She formed a friendship with Alfred Saunders, a politician and prominent temperance activist who may have influenced her ideas on women's suffrage.

She taught Sunday school, and in 1884 was elected secretary of the newly formed Trinity Ladies' Association, a body established to visit parishioners who did not regularly attend church services.

[18] Kate Sheppard's activism and engagement with politics began after listening to or reading about a talk by Mary Leavitt from the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) of the United States.

[19] In 1885 Leavitt toured New Zealand speaking not only about the problems caused by alcohol consumption, but also the need for women to have a "voice in public affairs".

[24][25] Her initial involvement was in promoting petitions to Parliament to prevent women being employed as barmaids, and to outlaw the sale of alcohol to children.

This marked the beginning of her collaborations with Alfred Saunders, who advised her on her negotiations with politicians and who wrote to the premier, Sir Robert Stout, seeking to further her campaign.

[29][d] The New Zealand Women's Christian Temperance Union was formed under the leadership of Anne Ward at a conference in Wellington in February 1886.

Sheppard did not attend that conference, but at the second national convention in Christchurch a year later, she arrived ready to present a paper on women's suffrage, although there was no opportunity for her to do so.

[35][36][37] During the general election campaign later that year Sheppard encouraged WCTU NZ members to ask parliamentary candidates questions about suffrage, but few women did so.

Sheppard made public speeches on suffrage in Dunedin, Oamaru, and Christchurch, developing a confident speaking style.

[39] Sheppard then published her own single-sheet pamphlet titled Ten Reasons Why the Women of New Zealand Should Vote, which displayed her "dry wit and logical approach".

[41] The government introduced an Electoral Bill in 1888 that would continue to exclude women from suffrage, and Sheppard organised a petition requesting that the exclusion be removed.

She wrote to, and later met with, Sir John Hall, a well-respected Canterbury member of the House of Representatives, inviting him to present the petition and support her cause.

Sheppard then produced a second pamphlet, Should Women Vote?, which presented statements on suffrage from notable people in New Zealand and overseas.

Hall moved an amendment to the Electoral Bill to give women suffrage; it passed with a majority of 25 votes.

[51] In 1890, Sheppard was one of the founders of the Christian Ethical Society, a discussion group for both men and women, not limited to the members of a single church.

[49] Using paid canvassers, the Liberal MP Henry Fish organised two counter petitions, one signed by men and the other by women; they received 5,000 signatures between them.

[58][59] The Electoral Bill of 1893, which granted women full voting rights, successfully passed in the House of Representatives in August.

Henry Fish attempted to delay the proposed statute by calling for a national referendum,[60] but the bill progressed to the Legislative Council.

[79] The Canterbury Women's Institute was formed in September 1892, with Sheppard playing a leading role and taking charge of the economics department.

[85] She was not only occupied with advancing women's rights, but also promoted political reforms such as proportional representation, binding referendums, and a Cabinet elected directly by Parliament.

Sheppard bought new furnishings and appeared to be planning for a new permanent residence in Christchurch,[88] but sold them in 1903, stepped down from her positions at the National Council of Women, and moved to England without any fixed date to return.

The following year she travelled to England for her son's wedding, visiting the headquarters of the WCTU in Chicago on the way, and meeting with suffrage groups after arriving in Britain.

[116] In 2016 and 2017, the production That Bloody Woman, which re-imagined Kate Sheppard's life as a punk rock musical, toured New Zealand.