Heroines in Christian History: Josephine Butler (1828-1906)

Growing up, my dad used to tell me stories about history. This gave me a great love for the subject, and I developed a special interest in women’s history. One of my favourite heroines is Josephine Butler (1828-1906), a British social reformer who fought for the rights of prostitutes. Many Victorians believed “fallen women” were unworthy of help and avoided discussing sexual issues in “polite society.” However, Butler’s Christian faith led her to bond with and advocate for these women. Politicians, journalists, and Butler’s contemporaries vilified her for her activism and for condemning sexual double standards (which permitted male promiscuity but not in women). Yet Butler stood firm.

Josephine Butler (née Grey) was born into a respectable middle-class family with aristocratic connections. Her father, John Grey, was a land agent, abolitionist, and devout Christian who educated all his children about politics and social issues. Josephine developed a strong social conscience and a deep relationship with God. As an adult, she was known for being eloquent, pious, and well-dressed.

In 1852, Josephine married George Butler, an Anglican clergyman and educator. The two had a happy marriage that produced four children. Sadly, their youngest child, Eva, died in a tragic fall when she was five. In her grief, Josephine Butler felt a deep desire to alleviate suffering. Her sense of motherhood and love for Christ propelled her to work with outcast women.

She began by visiting the filthy cellars of the Brownlow workhouse, where over two hundred women unpicked fibres of old rope—a demeaning, gruelling task. Many of the women were unwed mothers or prostitutes; others had come to the workhouse because they were sick or poor, trading labour for food and shelter from the cold. Butler joined the women in their work. She encouraged them to memorize Scripture, preached the Gospel, and embodied Christ’s love. While many of Butler’s contemporaries believed “fallen women” were beyond redemption, Butler rejected this view because it denied the forgiveness made possible in Christ. Many women responded to her ministry. Josephine and George Butler took many ‘disgraced’ women and prostitutes into their home. When the Butlers’ attic and basement could hold no more, Josephine Butler established a ‘House of Rest’ for poor, sick, and unemployed women. Here, women learned useful skills before being reintegrated into society.

In 1869, Josephine Butler was asked to lead a repeal campaign against the Contagious Diseases Acts (CDA), a set of laws designed to protect British troops from venereal disease. The CDA enabled policemen to detain any woman suspected of prostitution (no evidence was necessary) and force her to have a vaginal exam to check for venereal disease. If found infected, she could be held in a harsh ‘lock’ hospital for months. If she refused the examination—a painful and humiliating procedure activists called ‘instrumental rape’—she faced imprisonment and prosecution. Whether guilty or innocent, a woman could be placed on a policy registry, making it nearly impossible for her to find respectable employment. 

 To Butler, the CDA were unjust, unconstitutional, and unchristian because they targeted women, not men, and presumed guilt instead of innocence. In so doing, these laws denied female personhood, revealed sexual double standards, and highlighted the unequal status of women in Victorian society. Butler’s interpretation of Scripture supported her belief in the equality of men and women. She looked to Christ’s encounters with outcast women, such as the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) and the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 8:43–48). Butler observed that Christ liberated women in every interaction, releasing them from the bonds of tradition. She was determined to do likewise.

Butler’s social activism cost her dearly. She struggled to find accommodation on her campaigns, and policemen turned a blind eye as mobs threatened, insulted, assaulted, threw rocks, and tried to burn down her meeting places. Her husband was ridiculed and passed over for promotions, but he and their sons fully supported her work.

Josephine Butler’s commitment to prayer and strong sense of calling sustained her sixteen-year campaign against the CDA. The Acts were finally repealed in Britain in 1886. After this, Butler lobbied against the regulation of prostitution in India. Although she did fight for Indian women’s rights, she did not object to British imperialism itself. Butler also called for female suffrage and greater educational opportunities for women. She fought against international sex trafficking and successfully lobbied to raise the age of consent in Britain to sixteen. She was a prolific writer and a gifted, charismatic speaker.

I admire Josephine Butler for her bravery, perseverance, and willingness to address controversial issues. She inspires me to be both a Christian and a feminist. 

To learn more about Butler, I recommend Jane Jordan’s biography, Josephine Butler, or Sarah Williams’ When Courage Calls.

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Dr. Erica Bowler holds a PhD in history from McGill University. She teaches at Kingswood University and serves as its Director of Library Studies. Her research interests include women in Christian history, racism, and Christian-Jewish relations in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.