The Global State of Women’s Incarceration: A Cross-Regional Gendered Analysis

• In Event: Gendered and Cultural Contexts of Risk and Punishment

Abstract

This presentation examines how gender influences women’s incarceration experiences worldwide. Women only make up a small percentage of the global incarcerated population, but their experiences indicate gendered vulnerabilities, discrimination, and pathways to imprisonment. This presentation uses a comparative, cross-regional approach, analyzing incarceration trends, prison conditions, and policy responses across different regions of the world. Findings highlight how strict drug laws, economic marginalization, and patriarchal systems contribute to women’s incarceration. Incarcerated women also face maternal imprisonment, gender-based violence, inadequate healthcare, and barriers to reintegration. Despite the adoption of the United Nations Bangkok Rules, gender-responsive prison policies are insufficient. This presentation will discuss trends, disparities in carceral policies, and developing alternatives to incarceration, offering a critical perspective on global justice reform and the need for gender-sensitive approaches.

Author

• Francesca Spina, Westfield State University