March 11, 2026
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
CLE in-person
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Bank of America Tower
1 Bryant Pk
New York, NY 10036
Description: Women experience criminalization in ways that are deeply shaped by gender inequality, discrimination, and violence, contributing to the rising number of women in prison worldwide. Drawing on global perspectives, this panel will provide an overview of the pathways by which women are drawn into criminal legal systems, including the impact of discriminatory laws, gender-blind procedures, and entrenched stereotypes that fail to address the structural and gender-specific factors shaping women’s experiences.
The panel will also address gender bias in charging and sentencing, including the imposition of extreme penalties such as life imprisonment and the death penalty. The discussion will highlight the urgent need for gender-responsive justice systems, including criminal justice systems, that eliminate discriminatory laws and practices
March 12, 2026
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
CLE
Location is To Be Determined - people who register will receive email confirmation of location.
This side event will examine the systemic and intersectional discrimination faced by women exposed to the death penalty, with a particular focus on the structural barriers that prevent their effective access to justice. It will explore how criminal justice systems, far from being gender-neutral, often reproduce and reinforce gender inequalities, especially against women from marginalized and disadvantaged backgrounds.
The event will focus on the gendered pathways through which women come into conflict with the law, highlighting how gender-based violence, poverty, coercion, caregiving responsibilities, and discriminatory legal frameworks shape women’s criminalization and exposure to the harshest criminal sanctions. A woman with lived experience being sentenced to death will use her story to demonstrate the multifaceted ways in which criminal legal systems deny women access to justice. Other speakers with relevant expertise will dedicate particular attention to situations in which women who are survivors of violence are prosecuted or sentenced to death for acts linked to prolonged abuse, coercive control, or survival-driven conduct.
