From “iron fists” to digital traps: How contemporary legal policies bypass international gender standards

Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), the treatment of women and girls within the criminal justice system remains a critical area where international law clashes with national practice. This article looks at how the implementation of UN frameworks, including the BPfA, the Beijing Rules, and the Bangkok Rules, are applied to women and girls in conflict with the law in the United States, Honduras, and El Salvador. By reflecting on data from research projects conducted between 2015 to date, this study demonstrates in particular that UN Standards and Norms regarding the least possible use of institutionalization (BPfA Chapter IV C & D, Beijing Rule 19 & Bangkok Rule 2.1) and the elimination of discrimination (BPfA Rule 24, Beijing Rule 26.4, and Bangkok Rule 1) are not effectively applied to women and girls. The findings reveal significant contradictions between international standards and lived realities when it comes to contemporary phenomena such as gangs and digital crimes.