Description

Laws, Justice and Rights for Women in the Modern Era
Editor: Prof. Dr. Yogesh Kumar Gupta, Ishan Ahmad and Premananda Murmu
Published by Universal Academic Books Publishers and Distributors,
New Delhi (India)
ISBN: 978-81-686113-5-1, 2026

Chapter 22

Women Prisoners and Human Rights

Sahana Ashokumar
PhD Research Scholar, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology Deemed To Be University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

1. INTRODUCTION

Incarceration in numbers has for long been dominated by its male side: although still in minority (approximately 6.9%), women in prison worldwide have, however, increased at an alarmingly fast rate (almost 60% since 2000, nearly three times faster than men), bringing their total number to some 740,000 worldwide including those deprived of their liberty as girls. The rapid increase in numbers coupled with specific pathways and vulnerabilities of women into the criminal justice system have brought to surface deeply disturbing system failures, including those to uphold their basic human rights: facilities tailored for men, lacking medical services and exposed to prevalent violence.

2. GENDERED PATHWAYS TO INCARCERATION

In order to successfully address the issue of human rights of women in prison, understanding how women get into contact with the criminal justice system has become unavoidable. Understanding why women end up in conflict with the law starts from comprehending the specific factors contributing to their routes to prison, predominantly linked to poverty, prior victimisation, and gender inequality.