United Kingdom
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Josephine Butler
Milfield (Northumberland), United Kingdom
Archival Overview
Heroic Victorian feminist and human rights campaigner who led the successful international campaign to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts and exposed the international trafficking and child prostitution of young girls.
Biographical Record
Josephine Butler (1828–1906) began her humanitarian work in Liverpool workhouses, washing and comforting terminally ill destitute women. In 1869, she took leadership of the Ladies National Association to challenge the Contagious Diseases Acts, which subjected suspected female prostitutes to invasive, forced police examinations while leaving male clients untouched.
Braving rotten vegetables, violence, and social ostracism from Victorian society, Butler toured Europe lecturing against state-sanctioned sexual violence and double standards. In 1885, collaborating with journalist W. T. Stead, her explosive campaign forced Parliament to raise the age of consent from thirteen to sixteen.
Key Life Milestones
Founding of the Ladies National Association
Launched the historic crusade against state regulation of prostitution and discriminatory medical laws.
Raising the Age of Consent to Sixteen
Forced the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 through Parliament, ending the legal trafficking of children.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialKirknewton (Northumberland), United Kingdom