In spite of tort law’s ‘architecture of bias’, some feminist scholars and activists have argued that there is potential for tort law to be expanded to encompass and redress harms which more often and more greatly affect women and other marginalised people. While this can be important for some survivors to meet material needs and provide recognition for a wrong and harm, Martha Chamallas argues that it is not only a matter of individual compensation. It is connected to addressing systemic injustices because harm and violence are not equally inflicted and experienced, varying with intersecting forms of oppression. 

We are less likely to intervene, than to report an incident after the fact. This happens across the spectrum, from the most violent rapes, through street harassment, into universities and other institutions: at the ‘everyday’ end, complaints tend to be submitted when difficult conversations would be more effective. Faith (or hope) in authoritarian systems seems unshakeable, even given overwhelming evidence they don’t keep us safe:

Mainstream feminism in Britain is commonly preoccupied with the desire for a seat at the table of power; for a stake in the empire, for legislative wins and more women in board rooms and on parliamentary benches. Yet multiple, competing feminisms exist—arguably, feminist work has always been characterised by fragmentation and internal dissent. The halcyon years of the women’s liberation movement (WLM) in the 1970’s is also wrought with dissent and disagreement.

As “carceral feminism” has become ever more distilled, rigidly individualised ideas around what – and who – the “carceral feminist” is have also emerged. A process which has been accelerated with the growing interest in anti-carceral perspectives following calls to defund the police in 2020 in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Recording & Transcript of the public launch of the Abolitionist Strategies VS Carceral Reforms Gender Based Violence Resource. Event was held in June 2024 and the speakers were Leah Cowan, Lola Olufemi and Billy

Gender Based Violence Series launch will draw on some of the focus of the Abolitionist Strategies to Gender Based Violence resource, while also teasing out some of the problems found in our current ways of conceptualising responses to gender based violence.