The concept of female criminality is one which has until recently been given very little consideration to in terms of its' unique needs and characteristics. Like most areas of research, the study of criminology is one which until recently has been dominated by male researchers which seemed logical in the sense that the majority of crimes committed were by men. Therefore any crimes committed by women were just explained using the theoretical concepts created for men.
             It is only since the beginning of the 1960's that feminist groups have taken an interest in the roots and causes of crimes committed by women. The reason for this current interest is the realization that crimes committed by women cannot simply be understood using theories created to explain male activities. To explain the phenomena of female criminality, many theoretical perspectives have been put forth. Rather than focusing on physiological and biological causations, which were the main ideologies proposed in the past, contemporary feminist theorist are now analyzing female criminality through an economic and social context. In doing so, feminist criminologists' have put forth various theories to serve as an aid in explaining the rise of female criminality in Canada.
             A very well known criminology theory that was presented by Caesare Lombroso in the late 19th century was the theory of the "Female Offender" (Bowker, 28). In a time period when women were recognized as individual beings and respected for their needs and rights, Lombroso proposed the theory that female criminality was due to biological abnormalities. He based his
             research on women's prisons and courts that he had visited and on the measurements he had taken of the women's various body parts.
             In his findings, Lombroso noted that that the majority of the female inmates had physical abnormalities such as heavy lower jaws, large nasal spines, simple crania...