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Focus Areas

The RTG examines the diverse dimensions and aspects of gendering in contexts of international criminal law through three thematic focus areas. These areas are not understood as separate or self-contained domains; rather, they overlap and are interconnected in multiple ways. These interrelations are systematically taken into account in the individual research projects conducted within the RTG.

'Conflicts and Norm Violations' examines the role of gender in the emergence, effects, and perception of armed conflict and structural violence. 'Normative Orders' is dedicated to the gendered dimension of the international (criminal) legal system, as well as to the interactions between gender norms and orders on the one hand and (international) criminal law regulation on the other. 'Transformative Practices' addresses the mechanisms and practices for responding to and addressing international conflicts and systematic acts of violence.

Focus Area Conflicts and Norm Violations

The focus area Conflicts and Norm Violations examines the extent to which crimes under international criminal law and systematic acts of violence are shaped by gender, and explores the interactions between violations of international law and violations of gender norms. It asks, for example, about the significance of the 'gender factor' for the perpetration, perception, and consequences of violence, as well as for the construction and attribution of perpetrator and victim status. The focus area also extends to gender-specific narratives — in media, literary works, or religious texts, for instance — through which violence is perceived, interpreted, evaluated, and legitimised. Taking into account the pre-conflict stage, it further analyses the economic and structural conditions underlying gender-based violence, including value systems, institutional structures, and access to means of violence and positions of power. This approach allows the contextualisation of acts beyond the immediate conflict setting and within broader social, historical, and structural frameworks.

Focus Area Normative Orders

The focus area Normative Orders examines the extent to which conceptions and orders of gender shape the normative foundations of the multi-level system of international criminal law, andexplores the consequences this has for the impact, reach, and legitimacy of international criminal law. To this end, gender-sensitive analyses of processes of international law-making examine the interests and power resources of the actors involved. They reveal the conditions under which actors are able to assert their positions and the dynamics that, for example, determine why certain (gender-specific) acts come to be recognised as criminally punishable wrongs. This perspective sheds light on the conditions under which international criminal law functions as an instrument of domination or of emancipation. In addition, the focus area critically examines ostensibly neutral legal structures, such as rules on jurisdiction or attribution, and develops perspectives for a more inclusive understanding of international criminal law.

Focus Area Transformative Practices

The focus area Transformative Practices examines the extent to which conceptions and orders of gender shape the mechanisms and practices of addressing and responding to international conflicts, and how they influence the enforcement, effect, and legitimacy of international criminal law as part of broader processes of societal transformation. The focus area centres on formal and informal mechanisms of conflict resolution and (criminal) accountability, as well as their significance for long-term transformation and peacebuilding. It analyses, in particular, how gender-sensitive perspectives are incorporated into or excluded from legal and societal processes of addressing past violence, and what consequences this has for the recognition of wrongdoing and harm, social participation, and sustainable peace orders. In doing so, the focus area also critically reflects on the presumed neutrality of legal interpretation and application. It examines, for example, the extent to which conceptions of gender influence processes of selection and prioritisation, or how gender is constructed within judicial proceedings.