THE FIRST TRIBUNAL ON CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN
From March 4 to 8, 1976, the first International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women was held at the Brussels Palace of Congress, marking a pivotal moment in the global feminist movement. Over 2,000 women from 40 countries came together to share their personal testimonies of violence against women. In this historical event, they highlighted widespread issues such as rape, domestic violence, forced prostitution, femicide, and crimes against lesbians.
The opening speech was penned by Simone de Beauvoir, and the topics covered were as varied and urgent as the crimes themselves, including economic abuse, political imprisonment, and medical crimes. Many women who could not attend submitted written statements, ensuring that their voices were heard.
This groundbreaking event was organised by a driven group of feminist activists, including the renowned feminist writer Diana Russell, the Belgian journalist Nicole Van de Ven, and the Belgian activist Lilly Boeykens. Inspired by the International War Crimes Tribunal for crimes during the Vietnam War, organised by Bertrand Russell in 1967, the Tribunal aimed to empower women by sharing their experiences and to send a clear message to governments worldwide: society could no longer remain silent on these issues.
The Tribunal and the book that followed had a profound impact on international legislation, as well as the creation of local initiatives like women’s shelters and welfare programs. It set the stage for the feminist movements that have flourished in the decades since.
Now, 50 years later, we gather again for the Tribunal26 to honour the legacy of this historic moment. This event will celebrate the vision, the resistance, and the solidarity of the women who came together in 1976 and continue their fight for justice, equality, and an end to gender-based violence.
Want to dive deeper?
Explore the original testimonies and analyses that preserve the legacy of this historic moment:
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Original testimonies (English):
Russell Diana E. H. & Van de Ven Nicole, Crimes Against Silence: Proceedings of the International Tribunal on Crimes against Women, Les Femmes Publishing, 1976.
📙 Link to the book -
First French translation (expanded edition):
Le Goff Milène (dir.), Édition augmentée des Actes du Tribunal International des Crimes contre les Femmes (1976). Analyse historique, Annotations critiques, Éditions Université des Femmes, 2024.
📙 Link to the book
SAVE THE DATE!
On March 6, 2026, a new book will be released:
Faire parler les victimes. Le Tribunal International des Crimes contre les Femmes by Milène Le Goff (Éditions Hors d’Atteinte, France).
It will feature 20 testimonies and resolutions from the original Tribunal.
Curious for more?
Here is a selection of readings that show how the Tribunal continues to shape feminist thought and activism:
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Le Goff Milène, “Dénoncer toutes les oppressions. La parole des Étasuniennes au Tribunal international des crimes contre les femmes (1976)”, in Marie-Christine Michaud & Eliane Elmaleh (dir.) Penser l’intersectionnalité, Les Perséides, 2025.
📖 Link to the chapter -
Le Goff Milène, “‘J’aime les femmes. Et vous ?’ Se dire lesbienne au Tribunal international des crimes contre les femmes (1976)”, Clio. Femmes, Genre, Histoire, 2024, vol. 60, n°2.
📄 Link to the article -
Le Goff Milène, “Petite(s) et grande Histoire(s). Récit de l’émergence du projet mémoriel dédié au Tribunal”, Chronique féministe, n°131, 2023.
📄 Link to the article -
Giacinti Margot, “Le Tribunal international des crimes contre les femmes (mars 1976): Un moment-clé dans la conceptualisation du féminicide ?”, Cahiers du Genre, vol. 2, n°73, 2022.
📄 Link to the article -
Pálmadóttir Valgerður, Perplexities of the Personal and the Political. How Women’s Liberation Became Women’s Human Rights, Umeå University, 2018.
📙Link to the book