Josephine
Butler
1828-1906
Josephine Elizabeth Butler was an English feminist and
social reformer in the Victorian era. She campaigned for women's
suffrage, the right of women to better education and the end of
coverture (see Inez
Milholland to see coverture in action)
in British law.
In 1869, Butler began her campaign against the Contagious Diseases
Acts. These had been introduced in the 1860s in an attempt to reduce
venereal disease in the armed forces. Police were permitted to arrest
women living in seaports and military towns who they believed were
prostitutes and force them to be examined for venereal disease. Butler
toured the country making speeches condemning the acts. Many people
were shocked that a woman would speak in public about sexual matters.
But in 1883 the acts were suspended and repealed three years later.
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Women's
Rights Activists