▁Catholic ▁Church ▁permitted ▁some ▁women ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁sit ▁and ▁vote ▁at ▁national ▁assemb lies ▁– ▁as ▁with ▁various ▁high - ran king ▁abb esses ▁in ▁Med ieval ▁Germany , ▁who ▁were ▁ranked ▁among ▁the ▁independent ▁princes ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁Their ▁Protest ant ▁success ors ▁enjoyed ▁the ▁same ▁privile ge ▁almost ▁into ▁modern ▁times . ▁ ▁Marie ▁Guy art , ▁a ▁French ▁nun ▁who ▁worked ▁with ▁the ▁First ▁Nations ▁pe op les ▁of ▁Canada ▁during ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century , ▁wrote ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 4 ▁regarding ▁the ▁suff rage ▁practices ▁of ▁I ro qu ois ▁women , ▁" Th ese ▁female ▁ch ie ft ains ▁are ▁women ▁of ▁standing ▁amongst ▁the ▁sav ages , ▁and ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁dec iding ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁coun c ils . ▁They ▁make ▁dec isions ▁there ▁like ▁the ▁men , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁they ▁who ▁even ▁deleg ated ▁the ▁first ▁amb ass adors ▁to ▁discuss ▁peace ." ▁The ▁I ro qu ois , ▁like ▁many ▁First ▁Nations ▁pe op les ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁had ▁a ▁mat ril ine al ▁kin ship ▁system . ▁Property ▁and ▁descent ▁were ▁passed ▁through ▁the ▁female ▁line . ▁Women ▁el ders ▁voted ▁on ▁her edit ary ▁male ▁chief s ▁and ▁could ▁dep ose ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁emer gence ▁of ▁modern ▁dem ocracy ▁generally ▁began ▁with ▁male ▁citizens ▁obtain ing ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁advance ▁of ▁female ▁citizens , ▁except ▁in ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Hawai ' i , ▁where ▁universal ▁suff rage ▁was ▁introduced ▁in