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Abstract

The symposium “Intersectionality and International Criminal Justice”, held on June 5–6, 2025, in Münster, brought together renowned scholars and leading practitioners from across the globe to critically examine the role of intersectionality in international criminal law. The event served as a platform for cross-disciplinary dialogue between academic experts, legal professionals, and civil society actors committed to rethinking justice through an intersectional lens.

Over the course of five panels, participants explored how overlapping systems of oppression, such as race, gender, sexuality, and class, shape both the experiences of victims and the practices of international justice institutions. Topics included the prosecution of gender-specific and intersectional crimes, such as gender apartheid and sexualized violence in conflict zones, as well as the structural challenges posed by the lack of intersectional awareness in legal proceedings.

A hands-on workshop facilitated deeper engagement with intersectional methods in legal practice. Participants also discussed alternative approaches to justice, including women’s courts, and examined domestic prosecutions, such as trials against ISIS members in Germany, from an intersectional perspective.

A highlight of the symposium was the keynote address by Nazhat Shameem Khan, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who spoke on the ICC’s engagement with intersectionality and the need for institutional reform.

The event concluded with reflections on abolitionist critiques, representation, and postcolonial theory, encouraging participants to envision more inclusive and transformative futures for international criminal justice.

Early career researchers from both academia and practice were also in attendance.