Frances Heidensohn was a pioneering British criminologist and one of the founding figures of feminist criminology. Her work challenged the male-dominated nature of criminological research and theory, calling attention to the neglect of women in studies of crime, deviance, and criminal justice. As a professor at the London School of Economics and later at Goldsmiths, University of London, she advanced research into gender, social control, and comparative criminology.
Heidensohn’s research redefined the criminological agenda by foregrounding the experiences of women and girls in relation to crime and justice. Her work critiqued androcentric theories and developed a gendered analysis of social control, arguing that women’s lower crime rates are linked to the pervasive and multifaceted control exercised over their lives. She laid the groundwork for subsequent feminist and gender-focused criminological approaches.
