The White Ribbon
In December 1893, Sheppard was elected President of the Christchurch branch of the WCTU NZ. She chaired the first two meetings in 1894, before travelling to England with her husband and son. She was in great demand in England as a speaker to women's groups about the struggle for women's suffrage in New Zealand. In mid-1895, the WCTU launched a monthly journal, "The White Ribbon", with Sheppard as the editor, contributing to it from overseas. While in England Sheppard experienced health problems, requiring an operation, possibly a hysterectomy. The family returned to New Zealand at the beginning of 1896. Later that year, Sheppard was reappointed editor of "The White Ribbon".