y ▁them ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁voting ▁bo oth . ▁But ▁the ▁vote ▁was ▁much ▁more ▁than ▁simply ▁a ▁reward ▁for ▁war ▁work ; ▁the ▁point ▁was ▁that ▁women ' s ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁helped ▁to ▁disp el ▁the ▁fear s ▁that ▁surrounded ▁women ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁public ▁ar ena . ▁ ▁Ext ended ▁political ▁campaign s ▁by ▁women ▁and ▁their ▁supp or ters ▁have ▁generally ▁been ▁necessary ▁to ▁gain ▁legisl ation ▁or ▁constitution al ▁am end ments ▁for ▁women ' s ▁suff rage . ▁In ▁many ▁countries , ▁limited ▁suff rage ▁for ▁women ▁was ▁granted ▁before ▁universal ▁suff rage ▁for ▁men ; ▁for ▁instance , ▁liter ate ▁women ▁or ▁property ▁own ers ▁were ▁granted ▁suff rage ▁before ▁all ▁men ▁received ▁it . ▁The ▁United ▁Nations ▁encourag ed ▁women ' s ▁suff rage ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁following ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁and ▁the ▁Convention ▁on ▁the ▁El im ination ▁of ▁All ▁Form s ▁of ▁Disc rim ination ▁Again st ▁Women ▁( 1 9 7 9 ) ▁ident ifies ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁basic ▁right ▁with ▁ 1 8 9 ▁countries ▁currently ▁being ▁parties ▁to ▁this ▁Convention . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ancient ▁Ath ens , ▁often ▁c ited ▁as ▁the ▁birth place ▁of ▁dem ocracy , ▁only ▁adult , ▁male ▁citizens ▁who ▁owned ▁land ▁were ▁permitted ▁to ▁vote . ▁Through ▁subsequent ▁centuries , ▁Europe ▁was ▁generally ▁ruled ▁by ▁monarch s , ▁though ▁various ▁forms ▁of ▁parliament ▁arose ▁at ▁different ▁times . ▁The ▁high ▁rank ▁as cribed ▁to ▁abb esses ▁within ▁the