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Abstract

Despite widespread evidence of reproductive violence in mass atrocity contexts, transitional justice and international criminal law have tended to marginalise these violations. This article argues that this accountability gap stems partly from pedagogic failures – while existing definitions conceptualise reproductive violence as violations of reproductive autonomy, they fail to unpack its differentiated harms. This article develops a new typology that categorises reproductive violence according to reproductive consequences for victim-survivors. It performs a pedagogic function, making more visible the distinct suffering each category inflicts. By assisting pattern recognition across seemingly disparate acts, the typology helps investigators in framing such acts as interconnected instances of reproductive violence, identifying systematic reproductive control strategies and gathering targeted evidence. By strengthening understanding of the far-reaching physical, psychological and sociopolitical consequences for victim-survivors, this typology offers a tool to recognise reproductive violence as meeting the gravity threshold for accountability under the Rome Statute and beyond.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in The International Journal of Transitional Justice (IJTJ) following peer review. The version of record Zammit Borda, A. (2025). Unpacking the Harms of Reproductive Violence in Mass Atrocity: Developing a New Typology. The International Journal of Transitional Justice, is to be available online at: https://academic.oup.com/ijtj
Publisher Keywords:	Reproductive violence, typology, gender-based crimes, sexual violence, Rome Statute
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare J Political Science > JA Political science (General) J Political Science > JX International law R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics
Departments:	The City Law School The City Law School > Academic Programmes The City Law School > International Law and Affairs Group
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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