The label "bad girls" is one that society attaches to women in prison, but is it fair? Research by Women Beyond Walls and Penal Reform International reveals that the majority of women are imprisoned for non-violent crimes, such as poverty-related offenses or mental illness. This raises questions about the stigma surrounding incarceration and the need to challenge societal attitudes towards women who have been convicted of crimes.
One woman in Pollsmoor prison in South Africa shared her story of being arrested for shoplifting while trying to feed her family. In Sierra Leone, I documented numerous cases of women being arrested for owing money or selling food without a license to make ends meet. These stories highlight the harsh realities faced by women who are often forced into poverty and desperation.
The "war on drugs" is also fuelling an increase in women's incarceration in Latin America and Asia. Many women sell drugs due to coercion or poverty, making them easier targets for police trying to meet quotas.
However, the reality is that most women who commit violent crimes are survivors of violence themselves. Chisomo from Malawi was arrested after she killed her ex-partner, who had sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she left him.
Despite these efforts, a legal system built by men and for men continues to fail women through sexism and gender bias. Women who do not fit traditional stereotypes of the moral and motherly woman are often punished more harshly.
Prisons are not safe spaces for women. Vulnerable women often go into prison and come out further traumatized. Invasive strip-searches, solitary confinement, and other practices can cause harm to women with histories of sexual abuse or mental health challenges.
The intergenerational harms of parental imprisonment on children are well-documented. I once tried to trace the children of a desperate mother in Sierra Leone, who had no idea what happened to them after she was arrested. A neighbor had taken them in, but the nine-year-old girl went missing while trying to make ends meet.
High-level forums on women's rights often overlook this issue, despite the UN Commission on the Status of Women's pledge to "leave no one behind." Organizations working with and for incarcerated women are underfunded, even by donors to human rights and women's rights causes.
However, there is hope. Women around the world are reimagining what justice could look like, from inside and outside prison walls. Innovative laws allowing women to serve community sentences instead of imprisonment have been passed in some countries.
In Sierra Leone, I worked with a feminist legal group to challenge colonial-era loitering laws. In the UK, women's centers offer a model of community support that is more effective and less costly than prison.
The International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women brings together women from over 30 countries to share their experiences and work towards systemic change. As the number of women in prison continues to grow, it is essential that we hold governments accountable for their failure to implement UN standards and lack of investment in alternatives to incarceration.
Reducing women's mass incarceration must be a global priority so that marginalized women and their children stop being punished for systemic injustice. Prison is a feminist issue that is deeply intertwined with other women's rights struggles, including gender-based violence, reproductive rights, and poverty.
One woman in Pollsmoor prison in South Africa shared her story of being arrested for shoplifting while trying to feed her family. In Sierra Leone, I documented numerous cases of women being arrested for owing money or selling food without a license to make ends meet. These stories highlight the harsh realities faced by women who are often forced into poverty and desperation.
The "war on drugs" is also fuelling an increase in women's incarceration in Latin America and Asia. Many women sell drugs due to coercion or poverty, making them easier targets for police trying to meet quotas.
However, the reality is that most women who commit violent crimes are survivors of violence themselves. Chisomo from Malawi was arrested after she killed her ex-partner, who had sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she left him.
Despite these efforts, a legal system built by men and for men continues to fail women through sexism and gender bias. Women who do not fit traditional stereotypes of the moral and motherly woman are often punished more harshly.
Prisons are not safe spaces for women. Vulnerable women often go into prison and come out further traumatized. Invasive strip-searches, solitary confinement, and other practices can cause harm to women with histories of sexual abuse or mental health challenges.
The intergenerational harms of parental imprisonment on children are well-documented. I once tried to trace the children of a desperate mother in Sierra Leone, who had no idea what happened to them after she was arrested. A neighbor had taken them in, but the nine-year-old girl went missing while trying to make ends meet.
High-level forums on women's rights often overlook this issue, despite the UN Commission on the Status of Women's pledge to "leave no one behind." Organizations working with and for incarcerated women are underfunded, even by donors to human rights and women's rights causes.
However, there is hope. Women around the world are reimagining what justice could look like, from inside and outside prison walls. Innovative laws allowing women to serve community sentences instead of imprisonment have been passed in some countries.
In Sierra Leone, I worked with a feminist legal group to challenge colonial-era loitering laws. In the UK, women's centers offer a model of community support that is more effective and less costly than prison.
The International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women brings together women from over 30 countries to share their experiences and work towards systemic change. As the number of women in prison continues to grow, it is essential that we hold governments accountable for their failure to implement UN standards and lack of investment in alternatives to incarceration.
Reducing women's mass incarceration must be a global priority so that marginalized women and their children stop being punished for systemic injustice. Prison is a feminist issue that is deeply intertwined with other women's rights struggles, including gender-based violence, reproductive rights, and poverty.
I'm not buying the 'bad girls' label just yet. These stories about women in prison are super compelling but let's be real, most of them aren't even violent offenders. Like what's the crime rate for men? Should we be labeling guys who sell dodgy goods or get into bar brawls with a similar stigma? 
this is just not right we need to rethink the whole justice system, its like we punish these women for trying to survive in a world thats not fair on them many of them are forced into crime by circumstances, mental health or poverty so our prisons should be places of healing and rehabilitation not punishment. 
Prisons are literally prisons 
not homes for women! They're already dealing with so much trauma from society, why would you wanna throw 'em in a tiny cell and give 'em more to deal with? 
. We need to start seeing women as human beings, not just their crimes. 
the intergenerational harm to kids when mums get locked up is real & devastating 
my heart goes out to all those women who have been forced into poverty & desperation by circumstances beyond their control 
some countries are starting to do this right, like with innovative laws that allow women to serve community sentences instead of being locked away.
but not necessarily in a bad way... we're human, we make mistakes. and it's time for governments to hold themselves accountable for their failure to implement UN standards and invest in alternatives to incarceration 
we can do better!
the system failed them just like it failed her in pollsmoor prison who was arrested for shoplifting 2 feed her fam 
we gotta rethink this whole 'war on drugs' thing & its impact on women's lives 
. There are women out there who are reimagining justice and finding new ways to help each other out. Like, have you heard about those community sentences in some countries? That's like, the opposite of prison 
the whole "bad girls" thing is super unfair 
. we need to rethink our approach to justice, especially when it comes to women 