On 21 December 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders - known as "The Bangkok Rules" - the first global standards to address the needs and rights of women in prison and in contact with the law. They envisioned a world where women are not imprisoned for poverty-related or minor offences, and where criminal justice systems address women’s specific needs.
Yet today, that vision remains only partially fulfilled.
Gender-based violence and discrimination against women remain deeply rooted in societies worldwide. These inequalities are magnified within the criminal justice system, exposing women to criminalisation and specific risks when deprived of their liberty. Although women make up only 6.8% of the global prison population, their numbers have more than doubled since 2000, rising disproportionately faster than men’s.
Most women behind bars are there for non-violent, low-level offences — drug-related offences, offences driven by poverty, or behaviours such as abortion, sex outside marriage, or sex work. The findings of the APT Global Report on Women in Prison, developed jointly with National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) from different regions, reaffirm this trend. Across the 46 countries analysed, more than one-third of women in prison are in pre-trial detention, a proportion that rises to more than half in certain contexts. Despite increased attention to alternatives to detention, such measures remain insufficient to bring about systemic change.
Behind these numbers are lives interrupted, families separated, and women whose specific needs still go unmet. Many women in prison face intersectional discrimination – based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or racial background, disability, or nationality – that puts them at specific and heightened risk. The scarcity of reliable disaggregated data on these factors keeps many of these experiences invisible, reinforcing gaps in protection and policy.
During a monitoring visit, the Local Preventive Mechanism of the State of Rondônia, in Brazil, reported the testimony of a woman in prison:
“Sometimes I ask myself: will I ever get out of here? Thinking about my children brings too much suffering. Here, I feel more than just trapped; I feel like I'm stuck in time. It feels like my life has come to a halt. I can't see a way out […] it feels like I can't take it, I'm going crazy here.”
Those in contact with women experiencing detention, including NPMs - independent oversight bodies with unrestricted access to places of deprivation of liberty – hear these stories every day. Through private interviews, observations, and engagement with staff and families, they witness how imprisonment affects women.
High Risks, Systemic Gaps
The APT report highlights that women face heightened risks of torture and ill-treatment when subject to specific detention practices, even during pregnancy or childbirth: body searches, solitary confinement, and the use of restraints. The implementation of programmes addressing gender-specific needs, like healthcare, trauma-informed support, hygiene, contact with family, and reintegration remains uneven and too often inadequate.
For mothers and primary caregivers, imprisonment inflicts additional harm. With few facilities dedicated to women, many are detained far from home, making family contact rare and leaving children with limited support.
Progress so far
Despite these challenges, the Global Report notes promising developments in several countries:
- Progressive laws and jurisprudence that prioritise non-custodial measures, including house arrest for pregnant women or those with young children.
- Less intrusive body-search procedures, such as the use of scanners.
- Gender-responsive prison procedures and programmes, improving hygiene, healthcare, and access to family visits.
- Specific measures taken to address the needs of women, for example those who are pregnant, give birth or are in postpartum.
Fifteen Years On: A Call to Renew Commitment
Fifteen years after the Bangkok Rules were adopted, we must redouble our efforts to turn these standards into a reality. We must invest in gender-sensitive justice systems, expand alternatives to detention, and ensure that all women are treated with dignity and that their specific needs are fully met.
Oversight bodies as NPMs are central to that mission. With their access, independence, and a mandate to prevent torture and ill-treatment, they document the situation behind closed doors and engage in sustained dialogue with authorities, helping to translate the Bangkok Rules into practice.
By strengthening independent oversight, sharing good practices, and advocating for systemic reform, we move closer to fulfilling the promise of the Bangkok Rules - a world where women are protected, respected, and never forgotten.
