The education and employment of women

Name: The education and employment of women
Author: Josephine Elizabeth Grey Butler

By Josephine Elizabeth Grey Butler

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Gender & Sexuality Studies Politics Sociology Teaching & Education

About This Book

The author surveys the economic position of women, using census data and contemporary examples to show that large numbers of women must earn their own living. She critiques the assumption that marriage provides subsistence, documents the limited, low-paid occupations open to women—teaching, domestic service, sewing, clerical work—and examines the consequences of precarious salaries, especially among governesses: frequent poverty, social isolation, and even decline into illness or destitution. The essay argues that social conventions and legal exclusions restrict opportunities and calls for changes in education, employment access, and remuneration to secure women's independence.

About the Author

Butler, Josephine Elizabeth Grey portrait

Josephine Elizabeth Grey Butler

Josephine Elizabeth Grey Butler was a prominent British social reformer and advocate for women's rights in the 19th century. She is best known for her passionate work against the regulation of prostitution and her efforts to improve the education and employment opportunities for women. Butler's influential writings, such as "The Constitutional Iniquity Involved in All Forms of the Regulation of Prostitution," reflect her commitment to social justice and reform. Her autobiographical memoir provides insight into her life and the challenges she faced as a pioneer in the fight for women's rights. Through her advocacy, Butler significantly contributed to the discourse surrounding gender equality and social reform during her time.