CDA Flashcards
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
what happened in 1886?
-Gladstone’s liberal government wanted to abolish acts completely. passed by a majority of 114 votes
Why did the parliament repeal the laws (opposition)?
- scale of opposition
- 10,000 petitions
- opposition included eloquent and respectable advocates
- opposition represented many different groups
Why did the parliament repeal the laws ?
- acts were ineffective and it was hard to prove that a woman was not infected
- new liberal government
- small changed to women’s rights coincided
- media gradually gave more favorable coverage to Opposition
why was the CDA introduced (social)?
- 1848 public health act had worked, so this too should encourage moral improvement surely?
- soldiers used brothels due to disallowed marriage and homosexuality, and saw illicit commercial sex and inescapable, thus it must be contained and regulated
why was the CDA introduced (religious)?
evangelical Christians condemned the use of prostitutes, as it desecrated the holy union of marriage
how was the CDA hypocritical?
- officials responsible for punishing prostitute had also bought their sexual services
- discriminated against women, who were ironically victims of male lust and medical and police tyranny
what impact did early public agitation have on the CDA?
- early radicals and newly enfranchised w/c were unhappy with the laws. Daniel Cooper.
- no immediate impact but laid foundations
what impact did nationwide repeal groups have on the CDA?
- 1872-3 regional electoral leagues organised
- Henry Wilson cultivated support from the liberal party
- petitions signed by 2.5m people
who was James Stansfield?
- lost his cabinet post in 1874
- collated medical and scientific stats
- he made repeal movement more effective as a movement. Pushed for end of medical examinations in 1882
was there parliamentary support for the CDA?
- liberals MPs increasingly in support of repeal
- Henry Wilson created political committee of liberal MPs to push for repeal
- they repealed the acts
- conservatives did respond to lobbying in 1879
