Global Justice Center

The Global Justice Center (GJC) is an international human rights and humanitarian-law organization based in New York City. Founded in 2005 by American human rights lawyer Janet Benshoof, the organization was created around the principle that women's equality should be foundational to the human rights system rather than treated as a separate or secondary concern. GJC works through legal research, advocacy, coalition-building, and engagement with international institutions and national civil-society organizations. The organization’s central method is to apply international human rights law, humanitarian law, and accountability frameworks through a feminist and gender-inclusive lens. Its work seeks to influence how governments, multilateral institutions, courts, and humanitarian actors interpret and enforce legal obligations. GJC collaborates with national and international nongovernmental organizations, United Nations bodies, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and other actors involved in human rights and atrocity prevention. It is also a member of the United Nations NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. GJC identifies three broad areas of concern. First, it advocates for abortion access to be recognized, protected, and fulfilled as a fundamental human right. This includes opposition to restrictive interpretations of United States foreign-assistance policies, including the Helms Amendment and the Global Gag Rule. GJC argues that these restrictions can conflict with international legal duties and has advocated for access to abortion and related medical care for victims of rape in armed conflict. Second, the organization addresses sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in situations of war, political repression, and mass atrocity. GJC describes such violence as rooted in discrimination, patriarchy, and structural inequality. Its approach therefore emphasizes not only prosecution of individual perpetrators but also reform of the legal and institutional systems that permit gender-based violence to continue. Third, GJC seeks stronger gender-sensitive enforcement of international law concerning genocide and other mass atrocity crimes. Its analysis argues that genocide is not limited to killing and that international institutions must account for gendered forms of destruction, including sexual slavery and other forms of persecution. The organization has placed particular emphasis on Myanmar, working with Burmese and Myanmar women’s organizations before and after the 2017 atrocities against the Rohingya. After the 2021 military coup, it continued efforts to support accountability through international legal and diplomatic mechanisms. GJC is an advocacy and legal-policy organization rather than a consumer-facing commercial brand. Its principal outputs include legal analyses, policy recommendations, strategic advocacy, partnerships, and participation in international accountability initiatives. The available reference material does not establish a conventional product portfolio, commercial revenue model, public listing, or parent corporation.

The Global Justice Center was established in 2005 by Janet Benshoof, an American human rights lawyer who had previously led the American Civil Liberties Union’s Reproductive Freedom Project and co-founded the Center for Reproductive Rights. Benshoof created the organization to advance a model of human rights advocacy in which women’s equality and equal participation in power were treated as structural foundations of human rights law. From its formation, GJC developed an international-law-centered approach rather than operating primarily as a direct-service provider. The organization has used legal analysis, advocacy, partnerships with nongovernmental organizations, and engagement with international institutions to promote progressive interpretations of human rights and humanitarian law. Its work connects reproductive rights, gender-based violence, women’s participation in peace and security, and accountability for mass atrocities. One major area of activity has been abortion access. GJC treats safe abortion as part of the sexual and reproductive health and rights framework and argues that access should not disappear in armed conflict or humanitarian emergencies. It has specifically addressed the treatment of people who become pregnant through wartime rape. The organization’s legal position is that states have positive duties to provide nondiscriminatory medical care under the Geneva Conventions and related international-law principles. GJC has also challenged United States policies affecting international abortion funding. Its advocacy has focused on the Helms Amendment, which restricts the use of certain United States foreign-assistance funds for abortion as a method of family planning, and the Global Gag Rule. GJC has argued that overly broad applications of these policies can conflict with international legal obligations, including obligations relating to medical care for victims of armed conflict. In this area, it has worked with international partners, including the Government of Norway, to support exceptions or policy changes concerning abortion for victims of war rape. A second central field is sexual and gender-based violence. GJC frames such violence as an expression of discrimination, patriarchy, and unequal power. Its work therefore goes beyond describing violence as an isolated wartime abuse and examines the laws, institutions, and social structures that enable it. The organization seeks legal and policy responses that address both perpetrator accountability and the underlying systems of gender inequality. GJC has also developed a significant body of work on genocide and mass atrocity crimes. Its 2018 legal analysis, Beyond Killing: Gender, Genocide and Obligations under International Law, argued that genocide analysis must include non-killing acts and recognize the gendered methods through which destruction can occur, including sexual slavery and other forms of gender-based persecution. The organization has criticized international enforcement systems for failing to sufficiently account for the different ways women and other groups experience atrocity crimes. Myanmar has been a sustained focus of this work. Before and after the 2017 atrocities against the Rohingya, GJC collaborated with Burmese and Myanmar women’s organizations to challenge discriminatory policies and practices and to use international legal standards concerning sexual and gender-based violence. Following the 2021 military coup, its accountability efforts continued through engagement with international legal venues, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, as well as other mechanisms addressing alleged crimes by Myanmar’s military. The organization is headquartered in New York City and participates in international networks concerning women, peace, and security. Its current leader is identified as Elise Keppler. The available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of all staff appointments, financial information, campaigns, or organizational changes.

• 2021

  Continued Myanmar accountability efforts after the military coup

  [1]Global Justice Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Following Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, GJC continued advocacy aimed at accountability through international courts and other mechanisms.

• 2018

  Publication on gender and genocide

  [1]Global Justice Centeren.wikipedia.org

  GJC published Beyond Killing: Gender, Genocide and Obligations under International Law, addressing gendered and non-killing forms of genocidal conduct.

• 2017

  Expanded Myanmar accountability work following Rohingya atrocities

  [1]Global Justice Centeren.wikipedia.org

  After the atrocities against the Rohingya, GJC continued working with Myanmar women’s organizations and pursuing international-law responses to alleged genocide and gender-based violence.

• 2005

  Global Justice Center founded

  [1]Global Justice Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Janet Benshoof founded the Global Justice Center to place women’s equality and feminist principles at the center of human rights advocacy.

A feminist international-law and human-rights advocacy organization focused on making gender equality, reproductive rights, and gender-sensitive accountability integral to the interpretation and enforcement of international law.

• Research and advocacy

  Legal research and policy analyses

  GJC produces legal analyses and policy materials applying international human rights and humanitarian law to reproductive rights, gender-based violence, genocide, and accountability. These publications are intended to support advocates, governments, courts, and international institutions in interpreting legal obligations through a feminist and gender-sensitive framework.

• Legal advocacy

  International accountability advocacy

  The organization supports efforts to hold states and military actors accountable for mass atrocities and gender-based violence. Its work includes engagement with international courts, United Nations processes, civil-society partners, and other legal or diplomatic mechanisms.

• Human rights advocacy

  Reproductive-rights advocacy

  GJC advocates for safe abortion as a fundamental human right and examines the effects of domestic and foreign-assistance restrictions on access to care, including care for people impregnated through conflict-related rape.

• Abortion access in armed conflict

  International

  GJC advocates for complete and nondiscriminatory medical treatment, including abortion care, for victims of wartime rape and other conflict-related harms.

  Source
• Challenge to the Helms Amendment and Global Gag Rule

  United States · International

  GJC has advocated against restrictive interpretations of United States abortion-funding policies, arguing that they may violate international-law duties and impede care in conflict settings.

  Source
• Myanmar and Rohingya accountability

  Myanmar · International

  GJC has partnered with Myanmar women’s organizations and pursued legal and institutional responses to alleged genocide, sexual violence, and other mass atrocities.

  Source

• 2018

  Adopted a gender-sensitive legal analysis of genocideStrategy

  Background

  GJC argued that international genocide enforcement inadequately addresses gendered and non-killing forms of destruction.

  Action taken

  It published a legal analysis examining gender, genocide, sexual slavery, and states’ obligations under international law.

  Source

• Pursued international accountability for Myanmar-related crimesStrategy

  Background

  The organization identified alleged genocide and systematic sexual and gender-based violence in Myanmar as requiring international legal action.

  Action taken

  GJC worked with civil-society partners and engaged international venues including the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice.

  Source

1. 1Global Justice Centeren.wikipedia.org