In times of political pushback, convening itself is an act of resistance. On September 29-30, over 500 participants joined us in The Hague and online for two days of reflection, strategy, and solidarity at Gender Justice in International Criminal Law Conference.
Photograph © Robert Tjalondo
Across the panels, workshops, and discussions, we explored how gender persecution, reproductive violence, and systemic inequality intersect with international justice, and how feminist, decolonial, survivor-centred approaches can reshape the accountability landscape for gender crimes.
From case studies on Palestine, Ukraine, Syria, and Guatemala to forward-looking debates on gender apartheid and the Crimes Against Humanity treaty, the conference brought together practitioners, survivors, and activists to reimagine the future of gender justice.
Day One: Key Takeaways and Reflections
Our opening day brought together gender justice practitioners, academics, and civil society advocates from around the world to reflect on collective strategies for advancing gender justice.
Photographs © Robert Tjalondo
Some highlights included:
🎯The need to embed intersectionality beyond tools and guidelines into strategies that shape how investigators, reporters, and practitioners engage with survivors
💡How dismantling colonial legacies within institutions requires balancing ambition with realism, working through local contexts and country-driven approaches
🌏The essential role of context-specific practices: from addressing language barriers, limited vocabulary and cultural holidays, to ensuring survivors remain informed and involved throughout all justice processes
📹Rewatch Day One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGNdVah72A
Day 2: Key Takeaways and Reflections
Our second day gathered practitioners, activists, and survivors to share experiences, ideas, and shape forward-looking strategies for advancing gender justice.
Photographs © Robert Tjalondo
Some highlights included:
📣Discussing gender justice struggles across the MENA region, with powerful testimony and interventions from speakers and participants from Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq
✊The need for gender justice initiatives to also include intersectional approaches that dismantle colonial legacies
🛣️Rather than being paralysed by times of turmoil, gender justice advocates must continue to look into the future to ensure that international criminal law remains relevant and resilient for the next generation
📹Rewatch Day Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjDxyf1jO00
In the closing words of Michelle Jarvis, “this conference was a testament to the power of speaking our vision out loud, and understanding that, eventually, our words can create reality.”
A sincere thank you to our co-organisers Legal Action Worldwide, Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, and the International Institute of Social Studies, as well as to all who joined us in person and online.