This special issue proposal aims to investigate women's experiences with the law in a variety of legal and social constructs, such as family, criminal, and mental health law. The focus should be placed upon women from marginalized groups and with lived experiences of adversity such as (but not restricted to) homelessness, domestic abuse and male violence of all kinds, state sanctioned child protection/removal, the treatment of women in criminal justice and within mental health law frameworks. We are particularly interested in qualitative research conducted using feminist theory/methodology, although other research approaches are also welcome. The significance of this issue will be the dissemination of stories, narratives and voices of women themselves. Only by listening to and presenting their perspectives can our research demonstrate the impact of the law on women beyond theoretical concepts.

Women from such social groups are often vulnerable and have enhanced needs for the law’s protection. The special issue aim is to present work which critiques the law and its interrelationships with women who have lived experiences in the areas above. This will often require critical analysis of the law in its black letter form, juxtaposed with the experiences of women. Therefore, the issue calls for papers where research prioritizes the voices of women themselves rather than the interpretations of the researcher(s). It is desirable that submissions seek to elucidate women’s narratives by placing their voices at the center of the work. Submission may focus on, for example, mother’s rights in state sanctioned compulsory child adoption, women in prison and sectioned under the Mental Health Act and their access to their children, the protection of women in multi occupancy homeless accommodation, criminal justice victim blaming in sexual assault and domestic abuse cases. The other key aim is to concentrate on solutions; how the policy/law/practice can be improved to protect, support and uphold rights for women.

We could accept papers that address the above areas of law but provided the focus is placed upon women there can be flexibility. Of particular interest is socio-legal and feminist research which seeks to speak the truth and empower women.