Reproductive violence in international criminal law

Why a conference on reproductive violence?

Violations of reproductive autonomy and reproductive health are garnering increased attention in international law. This conference on strategies to effectively understand, investigate and prosecute reproductive violence aims to:

• Highlight the full spectrum of reproductive violence, encouraging a holistic understanding that bridges explicitly recognized crimes and those prosecuted under broader ICL categories;
• Promote interdisciplinary dialogue between legal professionals, academics, activists and survivors to integrate diverse insights and perspectives on reproductive violence; 
• Facilitate opportunities for attendees to meet key players on addressing reproductive violence, promote ongoing dialogue and post-conference collaboration;
• Explore innovative strategies and legal tools to strengthen justice and accountability for reproductive violence survivors; 
• Discuss potential enhancements to the ICL framework to more comprehensively address reproductive violence.

Programme

This is a draft programme; some of the speakes are still to be confirmed.

09:00-09:05 - Welcome by Professor Ruard Ganzevoort, Rector International Institute of Social Studies
09:05-09:30 - Opening presentation by Alix Vuillemin, Executive Director of Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, on the early origins of incorporating reproductive crimes in the Rome Statute
09:30-10:30 - Expert perspectives by survivor-experts to share experiences and discuss holistic response strategies including legal representation, psychological support and community reintegration programs, emphasizing survivor-centred approaches in the justice process.
10:30-11:45 - Break
10:45-11:45 - Legal milestones in addressing reproductive violence - spotlighting legal advancements and the recognition of reproductive violence across various jurisdictions and cases including specific challenges and ways to overcome them.
11:45-12:15 - Fireside chat: Framing reproductive crimes in the draft Crimes Against Humanity Convention. 
Speakers:
- Akila Radhakrishnan (Strategic legal advisor for gender justice for the Atlantic Council's Strategic Litigation Project)
- Valerie Oosterveld (Professor of Law at the University of Western Ontario & Special Adviser to the ICC OTP Prosecutor on Crimes Against Humanity)
12:15-13:00 - Lunch
13:00-14:00 - Existing law, new strategies - internactive session on new new legal strategies for prosecuting reproductive crimes in both conflict settings and peacetime, using the existing framework of war crimes, crimes against humanity, aggression, and genocide.
14:00-14:30 - Fireside chat: Reparations for reproductive crimes
Speakers:
- Wendy Harcourt (ISS)
- Giovanna Di Chiro (Swarthmore College, USA)
14:30-15:30 - Update on reproductive violence in ongoing ICC, ICJ and UJ cases - focusing on the efforts to address reproductive violence in the recent and ongoing situations in Russia/Ukraine, Bangladesh/Myanmar, Israel/Palestine at the ICC and ICJ and ongoing UJ cases on reproductive violence.
15:30-15:45 - Break
15:45-16:45 - Other accountability efforts on reproductive violence with an exchange of perspectives from a variety of efforts towards accountability for reproductive crimes, including commissions of inquiry, fact-finding missions and self-organised collectives.
16:45-17:00 - Closing remarks

Organizers

The conference is jointly organized by:

• The International Institute of Social Studies
• Legal Mobilization Platform
• Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice
• The University of Sydney Law School, represented by Dr Rosemary Grey
• Strategic Litigation Project
• Global Justice Center