Women Beyond Walls: UN human rights experts* today urged Member States to take action to strengthen protections for women and girls in criminal justice systems, warning that access to justice, safety and dignity for women deprived of their liberty remains gravely inadequate ahead of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).

“As the principal global intergovernmental forum on gender equality, CSW70 presents an important opportunity to renew attention to the situation of women and girls who are criminalised, detained or imprisoned,” the experts said.

Globally, more than 740,000 women and girls are estimated to be held in detention, representing around 7 per cent of the world’s prison population. Since 2000, women’s imprisonment has increased by 60 per cent — nearly three times the rate for men. Around 19,000 children live in prison with their mothers.

“Most women are detained for non-violent offences linked to poverty, inability to pay fines or bail, and punitive drug policies,” the experts said.” “Criminalising women for survival, caregiving responsibilities and socio-economic vulnerability fails to address root causes and protection needs”.

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