Half a century ago there was not one school or college where women could have any approach to University classes. Now there are over 2,000 women graduates, besides 1,500 who hold certificates from Oxford and Cambridge in place of the degrees which would have been theirs had those ancient seats of learning opened their gates to women graduates. The following table shows the particulars:
| Distribution. | Women Admitted. | Approximate total number of graduates in January, 1900. |
| London University | By a supplemental charter of 1878 | 1,100 |
| Victoria University | By its charter of foundation, 1880 | 180 |
| Royal University of Ireland | 1882 | 425 |
| The Scottish Universities: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, St. Andrews. | By an ordinance of the University Commissioners in 1892 empowering the admission of women | 226 |
| University of Wales | By a charter in 1893 incorporating the Colleges of Aberystwith, Cardiff, Bangor | 27 |
| Durham | By an amending charter in 1895 | 25 |
| Girton College, Cambridge | Opened for women 1872 | 529 |
| Newnham College, " | Opened for women 1880 | 577 |
| Halls for Women in Oxford | Opened for women 1879 | 426 |
The students of the three Women's Colleges above take the examinations of Cambridge and Oxford and have instruction in part from their faculties, but receive only certificates instead of degrees. The other universities grant them full degrees.
The establishment of an equal standard of knowledge for men and women has brought about the result that the achievements of women in literature, science and art, once treated as abnormal and exceptional are now quite normal and usual; and the liberal learning, once confined to the very few in favored circumstances, is within the reach of numbers. As a corollary to this it has been recognized that women's occupations also deserve systematic training, with the result that when once the training was given the resourcefulness of women has enabled them to follow out new lines, and a new independence has dawned upon them. At the same time the sense of personal responsibility which comes of independence has made many more women realize that they have a duty to the community, and therefore has compelled them to set their thoughts and minds to the performance of those duties. As a natural consequence the fact is being more and more realized by the Electorate and by Government Departments that women can bring useful service to the community.
THE ISLE OF MAN.
[The ancient kingdom of the Isle of Man, with an independent government since the time of the vikings, and making its own laws which require only the sanction of the Crown, extended Full Suffrage to women property owners in December, 1880, and the act received the assent of Queen Victoria, January 5th, 1881. This was extended to all women rate-payers in 1892.]
PROGRESS IN THE COLONIES.
NEW ZEALAND.[488]
The first of the Colonies of the British Empire to grant the Parliamentary Franchise to women was New Zealand, therefore, the story of Colonial Progress fitly opens with the land of the Maories. The earliest public mention that this writer has been able to find of the question was in a speech of Sir Julius Vogel to his constituents in 1876, when he said that he was in favor of extending the franchise to women—but as far back as 1869 a pamphlet on the subject, entitled An Appeal to the Men of New Zealand, had been written by Mrs. Mary Müller, who may be fitly termed the pioneer woman suffragist of that colony.
In 1878 the Government introduced an Electoral Bill which included the franchise for rate-paying women; this passed the House of Representatives but met with much opposition in the Upper House on points unconnected with women's suffrage, so that it was ultimately withdrawn.