Justice or just lip service? Reflections on IWD, CSW68 and the road ahead for women’s rights. Also, news from Haiti, India and England.
March 2024 newsletter from Women Beyond Walls - together we can build collective power and amplify voices to end the over-incarceration of women and girls worldwide.
Dear Friends,
March often feels like 'Women's Month,' a period brimming with events dedicated to evaluating progress in women's rights. Yet, amidst these celebrations and focused events, women and girls impacted by incarceration or criminalisation tend to fade into the background, their struggles and stories sometimes feeling like footnotes in wider discussions. We believe this needs to change, that these experiences are crucial to our understanding of gender equality and should be at the forefront of conversations, not just in March, but all year round. In this newsletter we cover some of the ways in which we and others been trying to raise the profile of women and girls impacted by so-called justice systems.
Landmark side-event on women’s incarceration at CSW68
One of the highlights of March for us happened during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). We were delighted to co-host a discussion addressing the global crisis of women's incarceration through the lens of poverty and systemic injustice. This dialogue, coorganised with Penal Reform International, the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies and co-sponsored by the government of Canada, the Mission of Colombia to the United Nations, and USAID, was a pivotal platform for our shared research, focusing on laws and policies that disproportionately criminalise impoverished women and girls. Our own Sabrina Mahtani, alongside a panel of distinguished speakers, offered in-depth analyses and solutions aimed at reforming justice systems to prioritise the needs and rights of women.
The event's agenda was skillfully managed by Swati Mehta of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, with Olivia Rope of Penal Reform International steering the discussions as the moderator. These discussions were enriched by insights from Claudia Cardona of Mujeres Libres Colombia and Cheryl Wilkins of Columbia University, both of whom are members of the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women. They shared powerful perspectives from Colombia and the USA on how poverty drives the criminalization of women and girls. Diego Mauricio Olarte from the Ministry of Justice Colombia, Annie Hudson-Price from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Charles Vandi, Deputy Chief Director of Protection in the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs from Sierra Leone, showcased promising practices from their respective jurisdictions, highlighting reforms that have been implemented to support women entangled in the criminal justice system due to socio-economic circumstances.
This dialogue was not just a showcase of our research but a concerted effort to bring to light the innovative strategies being adopted around the world to mitigate the criminalisation of women due to poverty. The event underscored the importance of integrating international standards, such as the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (‘The Bangkok Rules’), into policy reform discussions. It also provided a rare opportunity for member states and civil society groups to share success stories and challenges, fostering a collaborative approach to reform.
The collective wisdom and dedication of all participants, from civil society to government representatives, underscored a shared commitment to creating justice systems that are fair, equitable, and informed by the realities of women's lives. As we reflect on the discussions and recommendations from this event, our resolve is only strengthened, driving us to advocate even more passionately for systemic changes that can uplift and support women globally.
Not just March - A call for women’s equality all year round
We wholeheartedly embrace International Women's Day and Women's History Month, yet we're consistently reminded to achieve the progress we seek, we must prioritise the issues facing women and girls—particularly those affected by justice systems—every single day of the year, not just in March. For International Women’s Day we collaborated with UK NGO ‘Why Me?’ and our volunteer Communication’s Director Laura wrote this blog. We were also thrilled to be able to share so many great events that took place around the world - many led on by women with lived-experience of incarceration.
Heartbreak and horror in Haiti
Haiti, a nation already beset by crises, is facing a new wave of gang violence that has forced over 33,000 people to flee their homes in the capital, Port-au-Prince, according to UN officials. Despite this mass exodus, tens of thousands remain trapped in the city, now largely under the control of heavily armed gangs, which command over 80% of the territory. With more than 200 gangs believed to be active across Haiti, and nearly two dozen operating in and around Port-au-Prince, the violence has escalated dramatically.
In February, women who were once detained in Cabaret, Haiti's only women’s prison, found themselves in dire circumstances following political turmoil, riots, and escalating gang violence across the country. A devastating fire and subsequent looting at the prison exacerbated their plight. In response, a local group dedicated to supporting the needs of these women asked for help. Individuals from Women Beyond Walls and the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women (INFIW) wanted to respond. We set up a GoFundMe and were overwhelmed with the quick response from this community - thank you! The fundraising effort, aimed at providing for the basic necessities of approximately 50 incarcerated women, sought to secure essential items such as toilet paper, sanitary products, clothing, water, and other self-care essentials. We are pleased to say that this week we were able to get the funds raised and the women have already been given supplies of water, toilet paper, sanitary items and flip flops. Our thoughts continue to be with these women in the midst of a very frightening situation.
News from around the world
India: At the end of last month a shocking report by Guardian writer Sarah Aziz was released about sexual violence against women in prison in India. Sarah writes: “Prison is not and has never been a ‘safe place’ for women.”
England: An an HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ report detailed detail troubling treatment of children in custody at Wetherby, a youth facility in England, including using pain-inducing force and strip searches. In one instance, a girl was restrained and strip-searched twice by an all-male group of officers to prevent her from self-harming. Women in Prison and Agenda Alliance responded in a joint statement. The Howard League for Penal Reform also released this blog in response to the findings from Wetherby.
England and Wales: The Prison Reform Trust’s ‘Bromley Briefings’ show that prisons are failing women in England and Wales. The majority are imprisoned for non-violent offences, there are record levels of self-harm, 82% report mental health problems and 53% are on short sentences.
Zambia: Titizane Comfort Home in #Zambia ran a special donation and awareness event on International Women’s Day at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility for Women (photo below).
Sierra Leone: On International Women’s Day, The National Federation of Go Bifo Women called on the government and international community to provide more support for formerly incarcerated women. Go Bifo are also working to raise awareness of the challenges faced by these women.
Opportunities
People Against Prisons Aoteraroa (New Zealand) have launched a campaign and petition, #CareNotCagesNZ, calling on the government to transform the legal system and tackle the key drivers of crime including poverty, inequality, inadequate health care and education services.
The African Women’s Development Fund is open until 2 April 2024, for grant proposals for work that promotes the rights of women, girls and gender-diverse peoples’ rights.
Call for inputs on the African Declaration on the Promotion of the Role of Human Rights Defenders and their Protection in Africa continues - Inputs may be sent by e-mail by 31 March 2024.
Death Penalty Project UK are looking for a Summer Intern, either a recent graduate or someone heading into their last year of university.
The Justice Project Pakistan is calling for applications for side-events at their conference ‘Reimagining Justice’, a regional dialogue on reforming Pakistan’s drug policy landscape. Contact them on X (formerly known as Twitter) @JusticeProject_
Media and literature recommendations
Earlier this month, Prison Insider shared this insightful interview with Alice Jill Edwards, the first woman UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
A new briefing is out from Penal Reform International and the Life Imprisonment Worldwide Project, examining informal life imprisonment worldwide.
Inquest published an interesting thought-piece from Charlene Allen and Cameron Rasmussen on ‘Disrupting Carceral Narratives’
If you have any events/resources/reports you want us to consider highlighting in future newsletters, please don’t hesitate to contact us on hello@womenbeyondwalls.org.
With gratitude to the community,
The Women Beyond Walls Team