The mission of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is to contribute to the achievement of security and justice for all by making the world safer from crime, drugs and terrorism. UNODC is also the lead UN agency for HIV/AIDS prevention and care for injecting drug users (IDUs), prisoners and victims of
human trafficking.
Master trainer from UNODC partner NGO conducting a training session on life skills.
As part of its mandate to assist member states in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism in all its manifestations, UNODC focuses its programmes on providing support to the most vulnerable populations. This includes
women and girls who may also be themselves (injecting) drug users or spouses of (injecting) drug users, victims of human trafficking, and women in difficult settings such as prisons.
South Asia is a region where women have traditionally been vulnerable. Gender roles and relations and associated socio-economic vulnerabilities have had a significant influence on the course and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Given the increasingly visible feminization of the HIV epidemic in India and neighbouring countries, understanding and addressing the needs of women is of utmost importance.
This understanding includes taking into account the fact that
gender inequality also plays a powerful role in further increasing the vulnerability of women populations who are already placed in marginalized circumstances or difficult settings, such as prisons.
Women prisoners constitute a small minority and are often a neglected segment of population in terms of service provision. Some of the major problems facing women prisoners are: separation from their families, mental and emotional health problems (including experiences of trauma), issues related to child care and pregnancy, violation of human rights and limited access to health care and other services.
Health care is an issue in most women's prisons. The women in prisons come from the poorest sections of society and they come to prison with a range of untreated physical and mental health problems. In some countries illicit drug use affects the majority of women prisoners and is the reason for their imprisonment. Work to improve the health care in women's prisons is needed as well as drug counselling, mental health care, and programmes to help women deal with a past of abuse and violence.
('Reforming Women's Prisons', ICPS, 2004).
Dr. Jayadev Sarangi, UNODC prison expert addressing participants during a training programme, Women's Prison, Tihar Jail New Delhi, India.
Given their multiple vulnerabilities, it is important that deliberate and concerted efforts to reach this population through messages/services specifically designed to address the drug/HIV related needs of women prisoners, as well as, key messages/training related to life skills is crucial in ensuring effective service provision and rehabilitation support.
Women in Prisons in South Asia: (Source: International Centre for Prison Studies, 2004)
S. No.
Country
Female Prisoners (Percentage of prison population)
1.
India
3.7 %
2.
Nepal
8.3 %
3.
Sri Lanka
3.8 %
4.
Maldives
21.6 %
5.
Pakistan
1.5 %
6.
Bangladesh
2.8 %
7.
Bhutan
No data available
8.
Afghanistan
2.8 %
Project H71 'Prevention of spread of HIV amongst vulnerable groups in South Asia'
Project H71 is part of UNODC ROSA's response in meeting this challenge and ensuring this highly vulnerable population is reached and supported with effective prevention messages. The objective of this project is to strengthen the technical capacities of Government and NGOs in their response to drug driven HIV among vulnerable groups, including women prisoners. This component of the project focuses on the empowerment of women through preventive messages and the provision of life skills.
Objectives:
Objectives of the prison interventions of Project H71
Empower women prisoners to engage in positive health behaviours with regard to drugs and HIV during incarceration and after release.
Enhanced self risk perception with regard to drug use and HIV.
Disseminate knowledge and skills through a peer led approach (by involving prison staff and prisoners).
Therefore, key areas of work with women in prisons are:
Delivering messages on preventing drug use and HIV and provision of life skills.
Capacity building.
Promoting post release social networking.
Project H71 'Prevention of spread of HIV amongst vulnerable groups in South Asia'
