Women Defendants and International Law - Feminist Dialogues

This book addresses the largely neglected place of women defendants in contemporary international criminal law, beyond the construction of women as victims, and asks what the analysis of women perpetrators, defendants and suspects reveals about international criminal law, the media and feminism.
The book uses the topic of women perpetrators, defendants and suspects as a way to explore the concept of legal subjectivity via a gender analysis. It highlights how women perpetrators, defendants and suspects are constituted through three spheres, namely the areas of international criminal law, the media and feminism. In examining the relationship between women perpetrators, defendants and suspects and each of these spheres, the book exposes embedded gender biases and structural gender fractures. These reveal that problematic assumptions about how gender operates in conflict are embedded in the very foundations of legal imaginations. Ultimately, the book argues that this has far reaching consequences, beyond its impact on current understandings of armed conflict. Rather, these assumptions should be a concern for us all, even in times of peace.
This book will be of use to legal academics and practitioners interested in gender within international criminal law, as well as those concerned with contemporary feminist approaches to law.

List of contents

Introduction - Encountering Women Perpetrators, Defendants and Suspects 1. International Criminal Law and the Makings of Peace 2. The Media in International Law 3. Feminism and Women Perpetrators, Defendants and Suspects 4. Conclusion

About the author

Sheri Labenski is a Lecturer in the Department of Law at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK.

Product details

• Authors: Sheri Labenski
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 26.12.2025
• EAN: 9781032796758
• ISBN: 978-1-032-79675-8
• No. of pages: 184
• Series: Feminist and Queer International Law
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; LAW / Criminal Law / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Gender Studies, LAW / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Genocide & War Crimes, Criminal law & procedure, LAW / Courts, LAW / International, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Feminism & Feminist Theory, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Violence in Society, LAW / Discrimination, LAW / Gender & the Law, International Criminal Law, Gender & the law, Gender studies, gender groups, Social Law, Crime and criminology, Crime & criminology, Public international law: criminal law, Armed Conflict, Law and society, gender issues, Criminal law: procedure and offences, Social law and Medical law