Reclaiming (Feminist) Justice: 50 Years of the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women (1976–2026)

About the Event

In March 1976, in Brussels, thousands of women from some 40 countries gathered for a landmark event: the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women, co-organized by Diana E. H. Russell and Nicole Van den Ven, among others. This symbolic tribunal, without legal power, but with immense political and symbolic significance, was a decisive moment in the history of international feminist struggles. The testimonies given by the women themselves on systemic violence (sexual violence, genital mutilation, domestic violence, reproductive exploitation, incarceration, human trafficking, etc.) publicly exposed the extent and specificity of violence against women around the world. The tribunal also laid the foundations for a transnational and radical feminist approach to justice, memory, collective narrative, and women's voices.  

Fifty years later, thanks to the CIVIS funding instrument ‘Student-Led Projects Call 2025,’ several days of commemoration are being organized in Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium. The project began in January 2026 with an initial meeting at Sapienza University of Rome. It will continue on 27 February with a study day in Lausanne (full programme here), before moving to Brussels for an exhibition opening on 5 March and an international conference on 25 March, and concluding in Antwerp with two days of artistic, activist, and academic programming on 27 and 28 March (full programme here). 

Brussels Focus 

Two joint events will open the Belgian sequence on 5 March 2026:  

• a presentation of a book dedicated to the history of the Tribunal, in the presence of its author. 
• the inauguration of a photographic exhibition retracing its archives, its key actors, and its international circulations. 

For the study day in Brussels, on 25 March 2026, we aim to create a space for critical and interdisciplinary reflection on the legacy, extensions, and contemporary resonance of the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women. Building from this event, we will use a thematic panel format to examine forms of feminist speech, mobilization, resistance, and justice in the face of systemic violence against women. The aim of the Brussels event is to bring students, academic community and broader public to understand gender inequalities and its evolution since the 1976 Tribunal. As the event will take place in a hybrid format, recordings of the debates and discussions will also be made accessible. In terms of outcomes, a publication is planned.  

The series of events will conclude on 13 April 2026 with a film screening at ULB’s Coin Culture. The film “Bandes d'hystériques” explores the history of Belgian feminist movements in the 1970s and will be shown in the presence of its director, Kita Bauchet. This closing event offers a final moment to gather, reflect, and celebrate the rich legacy of feminist activism. 

Practical informations

• Exhibition: from 5 March 2026 until 23 March 2026 
• Site: Coin Culture (ULB), Brussels 

On-site only event 

• Study day in Brussels: 25 March 2026, 8:45am to 5pm 
• Site: Learning and Innovation Center (LIC), Boulevard de la Plaine 2, Brussels 
• Language: French/English  
• On-site + Hybrid event (mandatory registration) 

Registrations Brussels events: Events registration : 50 ans du Tribunal international des crimes contre les femmes 

• Film screening: 13 April 2026 at 6pm, followed by a debate with the director (+- 7:40 to 8:00 pm) 
• Site: Coin culture (ULB), Brussels 
• Language: Original version FR/NL/ENG, subtitles FR/NL 
• Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1156821328?fl=pl&fe=sh  

Contact

If any quiries, don't hesitate to address them to milene.le.goff@ulb.be

Full programme: