Josephine Butler Society
CONTEXT
In 1915 the Ladies National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts merged with the International Abolitionist Federation to form the Association of Moral and Social Hygiene, which changed its name to the Josephine Butler Society in 1953.
The Josephine Butler Society is a pressure group, who campaigns and advocates for the safety of sex workers. They stand for Social Justice and Equality of all citizens before the law.
JBS’s present work takes two main forms
To make representations to various government departments on sex work and related issues. In order to achieve our aim of Equality of all before the law, JBS raises awareness of the damaging consequences of current and proposed legislation.
To liaise and network with statutory and voluntary agencies. JBS arranges seminars on related matters to a variety of audiences.
OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES
Josephine Butler Society – https://www.josephinebutlersociety.org/
London School of Economics page on Josephine Butler and her work – https://www.lse.ac.uk/library/collection-highlights/prostitution-and-trafficking
Google Arts & Culture page on Josephine Butler – https://artsandculture.google.com/story/zQXBb13WOTDcIQ
Bridgewater State University thesis on Prostitution and the Contagious Diseases Acts in NineteenthCentury England – Victoria Knox (2022) – https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1584&context=honors_proj
National Library of Medicine website article An Exposure of the Contagious Diseases Acts, and of Government Lock Hospitals – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5903772/
National Archives blog on the Contagious Disease Acts – https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mistaken-identity-elizabeth-burley-and-the-contagious-diseases-acts/
Museum of Healthcare blog on the Contagious Diseases Acts – https://museumofhealthcare.blog/prostitution-regulation-and-public-health-the-contagious-diseases-act-of-britain/
