Women's Health Women

Josephine Butler Wikipedia

Josephine Elizabeth Butler (1828 - 1906) was a Victorian era feminist campaigner who was primarily interested in the welfare of prostitutes. She waged a long campaign for the repeal of the Contagious Disease Act|Contagious Diseases Acts.

She was born in the village of Milfield, Northumberland and was the daughter of John Grey and Hannah Annett. Her father was the cousin of the reformist British Prime Minister Earl Grey. She married George Butler in 1852 and gave birth to four children.

Her earliest public activity involved her vocal support for the Northern cause in the American Civil War, but it was only after the death of her six year old daughter in 1863 that she threw herself into campaigning on behalf of prostitutes. Her approach was to promote education for women and moral reform, attacking the so-called double standard of sexual morality. Her self-funded publications were widely distributed.

The Contagious diseases acts had been introduced during the 1860s as a form of state regulation of prostitution in order to control the spread of venereal diseases. These required the registration of prostitutes and regular medical check-ups. Butler took the view that the acts effectively legalised the sex-trade. She also objected to the fact that women could be 'denounced' as prostitutes and forcibly subjected to intimate examinations. Her efforts eventually led to the repeal of the acts.

In her fight against child prostitution she finally ensured that the age of consent to sex was raised from 13 to 16.

In 2005, the University of Durham honoured her by naming Josephine Butler College for her. This reflects the fact that she was married to a Durham Unviersity lecturer, and was a local of the North-Easthttp://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?itemno=983.

Last Modified:   2005-12-19