Women in the late 19th century
- Victoria is on the throne. Industrial revolution.
- No women could legally vote in parliamentary elections
- BUT, had increasingly influential role in local governments
progress for women in the 19th century
- oxford and Cambridge opened their doors to women
- reform movement led by Josephine Butler
restrictions on women in the 19th century
- blue-stockings considered unfeminine and to have damaged their ovaries
- women assumed to want marriage and children rather than just sexual desires
Why was the CDA introduced? (military)?
- venereal disease was seen as weakening the British army (after reports from Crimean war)
- caused 1/3 of sickness in army.
- 1859 compulsory examination of the men was abandoned due to hostility from the men
What was the Parliamentary committee 1862?
- established to come up with solution
- Sir John Liddell’s conservative viewpoint favoured over liberal one. He suggests prostitutes must be regulated, registered, and subjected to compulsory examinations
- kept quiet in press
What did the 1964 CDA do?
- allowed police officers to arrest suspected prostitutes in 11 naval ports/army towns
- compulsory medical checks. could be kept in lock hospital for up to 3 months.
What did the 1966 CDA do?
-compulsory periodical examination of all prostitutes in these 11 areas
What did the 1969 CDA do?
- extended to 18 districts
- max stay in lock hospital increased to nine months
who enforced the CDA?
- plain clothed metropolitan policemen arrest them
- army or navy surgeons conduct examinations
How did the acts effect prostitutes?
-many working class women occasionally turned to prostitution rather than having it as a full time career
–> especially those in garrison towns or mining towns where many were unsupported
How did the acts effect ordinary women?
- those in poorer areas likely to be stopped even if innocent
- Mrs Percy’s suicide in 1875
- many were illiterate and did not know their legal rights
What happened to women under the CDA?
- prostitutes on a register and had fortnightly checks. If they refused they could be fined or serve a prison sentence
- surgeon gives them a card if clean. Otherwise, treated severely in a lock hospital
- Treatment was Mercury, known to be toxic. relieved symptoms but did not cure.
Why did people oppose the CDA?
- rules to identify women were vague. unfair.
- broke Habeas Corpus
- anti-democratic
- seen to be legalising prostitution
- some religious groups argued it made premarital sex for men a minor and forgivable sin
did the CDA work?
- MP James Stansfeld showed parliament in 1880 that it did not work
- made it worse, as men felt safe and the disease spread more
did everyone oppose the CDA?
- The Times gave more attention to those wishing to attain the act
- -> at least 7 front-page headlines solely supported the acts
- signatures of 1000 doctors who supported acts
- support was small but influential (dragged out debate for 16 years)
Who were the National Association for Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts?
- formed 1869
- middle class, male movement
- published journal called the shield
Who were the Ladies’ National Association for Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts?
- led by Josephine Butler
- ‘women’s manifesto’ published in the Daily news with 128 signatures (31 Dec 1869)
–> copy presented to parliament with 2000 signatures
-drew a lot of attention to issue
Who was Josephine Butler?
-worked in liverpool to support poor women and girls in a local poorhouse
What was Josephine Butler’s role?
- forceful, persuasive speaker
- respectable leadership to a taboo movement
- shook social expectations
- argued that the laws were unreasonable and unequal
Who was Elizabeth Wolstenholme?
- denied an education by her father
- founded a school for girls
- strong advocate of women’s rights
- tried to pressure MPs to include female suffrage in 1967
What was Elizabeth Wolstenholme’s role?
- founding member of LNA
- direct role. fond of petitions
- pregnant by a man she lived with but was not married to. Discredited LNA a bit.
what support was there in parliament for repeal?
-William Fowler and James Stansfield (liberal MPs)
How did the parliamentary commissions help the act get repealed?
-two parliamentary commissions established to inquire in to how the laws were organised
–> recommended that parts of the law were removed as they were immoral
–> ignored by the gov but strengthened the opposition’s arguments
what happened in 1883?
- James Stansfield presented a speech to parliament calling the act undemocratic and immoral
- -> proposed to abolish compulsory medical extermination
- -> passed by vote of 182 to 110
