WPS and the International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court began its work in 2003. The Court’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute (1998), offers an unprecedented legal framework dedicated to ending impunity for sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict. This chapter examines how the Rome Statute contributes to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, paying particular attention to the Statute’s definitions of crimes, gender-sensitive rules, commitment to gender expertise, provisions for victim participation and reparations, and its framework for national implementation. Next, the chapter examines the difficulties faced by the Court in institutionalizing the Statute’s gender justice commitments during the first decade of its work, including challenges surrounding the prosecutor’s investigations, charging decisions, and the ICC’s first trials. The chapter points to efforts to strengthen the Court’s gender justice framework and notes the key role of advocates and NGOs in monitoring the Court’s gender justice commitments. The chapter’s concludes by considering ways that WPS advocates can support the Court’s work in challenging international political circumstances.