Part of the International Conflicts series

Valerie Oosterveld: International Criminal Justice, Peace and Politics: Making Gender Matter

Valerie Oosterveld, of the Faculty of Law and the University of Western Ontario, started by asking if international courts are gender sensitive and if there are links between peace agreements and international justice.

There is a need for a broader range of gender crimes that encompass more than just rape. Institutions need to include more female staff and judge, with experts in gender prosecution.

The safety, comfort and dignity of victims should also be taken into account. Should women come forward to tell their stories in front of tribunals? It does allow direct accusation of those involved, but might not be appropriate for all circumstances.

The current system is still too flawed to treat victims well. It’s too narrow, and doesn’t quite understand the effect of testifying.

Conflicts are often characterized by the brutality of sex crimes, so rape can often be accompanied with a great deal of violence. Rape violates the personal autonomy of a woman, it goes beyond just her dignity.

Oosterveld also proposed a new crime against humanity for forced marriages, which is also seen in many war-torn areas.

She concluded that unfortunately we still see an inconsistent approach towards dealing with gender crimes.

Oosterveld is the author of a textbook on international law published by Irwin Law.

These notes are from the Cross-Purposes? International Law and Political Settlements conference at the University of Western Ontario, on Jun. 9-10, 2007, with some editorial content added by Omar Ha-Redeye.