Were Killings the Backlash to Rising Feminism?

[Madam Red]

{{March is Women's History Month, isn't it fitting that I bring this up now?}}


Might the killings been committed by a angry antifeminist in response to the growing efforts for equal rights between the genders?

It would seem like it, especially if you'll notice that a major victory for women and their advocates was won in London merely a month before Martha Tabram was found dead: The London Matchgirl Strike of 1888.

It's probably safe to assume that Jack the Ripper maintained a deep hatred for women. Could that hate be politically influenced?



{{Thank you, Dr. Karen Kurt Teal, for introducing me to this theory.}}

[nugnug]

Jack The Antifem

id certanly never thught of that before that puts a whole new take on things

[Madam Red]

It's certainly worthy of further research.

[Adam Went]

So I've signed in here today to see 4 topics about possible suspects.....those being an anti-feminist, a police officer, Rose Mylett and George Lusk.

Oh dear. The words scraping and barrel come to mind....

I don't believe that any of Jack's canonical victims had ever been associated with any group or movement which was even remotely feminist, so what would be the point of that? What was killing several unfortunate women from the poorest of the poor classes going to prove?

If Jack was an anti-feminist trying to make a statement, he would have been after the women that were leading these feminist uprisings, or those who were stirring the pot on it.....not Jack's victims.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Bob Hinton]

In answer to your question - no!

[ChrisGeorge]

{{March is Women's History Month, isn't it fitting that I bring this up now?}}


Might the killings been committed by a angry antifeminist in response to the growing efforts for equal rights between the genders?

It would seem like it, especially if you'll notice that a major victory for women and their advocates was won in London merely a month before Martha Tabram was found dead: The London Matchgirl Strike of 1888.

It's probably safe to assume that Jack the Ripper maintained a deep hatred for women. Could that hate be politically influenced?

{{Thank you, Dr. Karen Kurt Teal, for introducing me to this theory.}}

We are talking about an era here some 20-30 years before the time of the suffragettes. The fight for women's rights was only incipient in 1888, something that women might think about but they were not actively engaged yet in campaigning for the vote. You are correct to mention the Match Girls Strike of 1888 but there was little else to suggest that either working class or upper class women were agitating for anything. Women in 1888 and in the Victorian era were kept in their place. In society at the time, the topic of women's rights was not an issue for anyone, let alone the Ripper, so therefore this is pretty much a non-starter as a theory. Sorry.

Best regards

Chris George

[Supe]

Madame Red,

While I do not see any connection between Jack the Ripper, the Suffragist (the term they preferred) movement or the matchgirls' strike in particular, it would be wrong to dismiss the idea that the desire for the vote by women was only something of a wish dream in 1888.

It had many proponents worldwide during the latter half of the 19th century and was particularly strong in the United States where several new western states granted the franchise to women. In the UK, John Stuart Mill, MP, was an advocate of female suffrage and tried to make it part of a reform bill--to no avail. Although mass demonstrations on behalf of female suffrage began in the early 20th Century, as early as 1897 the National Union of Women Suffrage Socities--a coalition of 17 separate organizations--was formed.

Female suffrage was more than just "thought about" in 1888, certainly. It just didn't have anything to do with Jack--in my opinion anyway.

Don.

[Bob Hinton]

No Connection

I think trying to link the match girls strike to some ethereal feminist movement is nonsense. Those girls weren't striking because they were wanting to strike a blow for womens rights, whatever they are, they wanted more bread to eat.

People had more important things to worry about than silly causes, like trying to stay alive.

[Natalie Severn]

I do totally agree with you Bob.The feminist movement was very largely a movement by Upper Middle Class women who were angry about not having the vote.Some working class women joined in later but their fight, like the match girls, was more to do with working conditions and pay than wanting to have a fight with men.

[Limehouse]

I do totally agree with you Bob.The feminist movement was very largely a movement by Upper Middle Class women who were angry about not having the vote.Some working class women joined in later but their fight, like the match girls, was more to do with working conditions and pay than wanting to have a fight with men.

I agree that it is high unlikely that the killings of JtR were connected to any anti-feminist movement. However, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that upper middle class women were not above using working class causes to raise awareness of the gender inequality in general. For example, the match girls strike received a lot of support from women such as Annie Beasant who were early feminists (as far as they could be at that time) and who did believe that low pay and poor wroking conditions particularly affected women (out workers and factory girls, who were paid less than men) and that if they could rally support from working class women it would raise awareness of the position of women in general.

[Madam Red]

Well, it's pretty obvious that the victims themselves weren't politically involved or with suffrage, but that the Ripper might've taken a more general role in his hatred toward women. He might've been irrationally believed that women needed to "be put back in their places" and thought murder and fear would be the perfect tactic. Also, during this time, some areas were winning property rights.
The prostitutes were simply easy targets.

[Madam Red]

In other words, Ripper might've read the newspaper and wanted to do something about it.