Women In Disputes: A History of European women in mediation and arbitration

Another title in the Women, History, Books and Places series by Susanna Hoe and Derek Roebuck

A ground breaking history of women as peacemakers, mediators, and arbitrators across centuries of European legal and cultural development.

Blending the insights of two lifelong researchers—one specialising in women’s history, the other in the history of dispute resolution—this richly documented book uncovers the largely untold story of women in conflict resolution. From ancient Greece to nineteenth-century China, medieval Europe to modern tribunals, it explores how women have long acted as arbiters of justice, informal negotiators, and agents of reconciliation, even in times when law and tradition denied them official power.

At its heart is the symbolic figure of Queen Arete, the wise and respected woman of Homeric legend who inspired the original title Arete’s Daughters—a reminder that women have always had a voice in peacebuilding, even if that voice has been overlooked.

Covering cases from family feuds and inheritance battles to cross-border diplomacy, the authors trace how women across history have helped resolve disputes in informal courts, religious settings, family councils, and even royal arbitration chambers. Alongside legal innovations are compelling stories of the women themselves—many of whom used soft power, emotional intelligence, and strategic influence to mediate where formal authority was denied.

With references to historical figures like Clara Elliot and landmark mediation events such as Charles Elliot’s arbitration in colonial China, this book also builds on the authors’ earlier work The Taking of Hong Kong.

Perfect for readers of The Radium Girls, Women & Power by Mary Beard, and A Short History of Disputes, this volume is both a scholarly resource and an accessible narrative of the enduring role women play in crafting peace.