ABSTRACT
It is important to recognise that feminism is not a unitary system of thought but a collection of different theoretical perspectives with each explaining the oppression of women in a different way. Consequently, there is no one feminist explanation of female criminality and before examining these debates it will be useful to briefly consider the different variations of feminist thought or feminisms. First, a further word of caution should be noted. The various versions of feminism tend to be united in their rejection of the term ‘victim’ to describe the oppression of women in a male dominated society and there is a preference for the far more positive term ‘survivor’. It is a linguistic device that suggests that by working together in pursuit of the common cause women can successfully contest and overcome male supremacy.
