ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents an overview of feminism and feminist criminology, and provides an argument for gender-specificity. It discusses the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and resultant conventions, and relates the gender-specific needs of females who are incarcerated to violations of human rights. The terms feminist and feminism elicit a myriad of definitions, thoughts, and emotions. Social constructionists and feminist theorists argue that gender is a creation or byproduct of the society in which it resides. Feminism has provided a framework for social, legal, and political analyses regarding the status and needs of women who must abide by laws similar to the Sharia laws. Feminist criminologists extend traditional criminological theory and operate under the assumption that females are biologically, psychologically, socially, and emotionally different than males.
