In September 2016, we published our first special issue on “gendered experiences in developmental pathways to crime”. The collection of papers was excellent and the response from the readership of the JDLCC has been positive. In this second special issue, we provide another collection of papers that focus on the gendered nature of the development of offending over the life-course. We have been heartened by the interest in this topic shown by many scholars across the world. It is not that long ago that examining the gender-crime relationship and female patterns and pathways to offending would be viewed as marginal to the main interests of criminologists and scholars focused on developmental patterns of offending across the life-course. The comprehensive collection of papers in these two special issues illustrate the maturation of this area of scholarship. While we are not suggesting the ship has landed per se, but rather that great progress has been illustrated by the response to the call for papers as well as the high quality of papers appearing in each of the editions. Collectively, the published papers illustrate the importance and sophistication of this area of research endeavour.