International Criminal Law and Sexual Violence against Women: The Interpretation of Gender in the Contemporary International Criminal Trial [introduction]

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in this book. The book talks about the prosecution of wartime sexual violence in international criminal tribunals. It explores what this development means for gender justice and equality in an era where feminism seemingly has made significant strides in international law. The book addresses what the juridicalisation of gender-based violence represents for women in the contemporary context by adopting a critical legal feminist position. It discusses how women are portrayed in key international legal decisions. The book analyzes how the boundaries between ethnicity, nationality, female identity, religion and culture are continually blurred to construe a narrative of war with a clear aggressor and a defined victim. It traces the origins of intersectionality, its international success and its relevance to a critical legal feminist perspective on an issue such as wartime sexual violence against women, while also examining its drawbacks