Groundbreaking' UN agreement on justice for women to include those in prison for first time

"It is really the first time in 70 years of this commission that the topic of women in prison is being taken seriously. It's groundbreaking and sends a very strong sign that all countries are behind this, with just one exception (the US voted against the conclusions)."

"The agreed conclusions of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), being held this week and next at the UN headquarters in New York, explicitly mention women in detention and in imprisonment. They set out to address their plight while taking into account the links between discriminatory laws, violence against women and girls and increased risk of incarceration."

The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN headquarters adopted agreed conclusions that explicitly include women in detention and imprisonment for the first time in the commission's history. The document addresses the plight of hundreds of thousands of incarcerated women globally by examining connections between discriminatory laws, violence against women and girls, and increased incarceration risk. This inclusion represents a significant achievement following years of advocacy by formerly incarcerated women and civil society organizations. The commission's conclusions contain analysis, recommendations, and policies directed at governments and institutions to ensure justice systems work equally for all, eliminate discriminatory laws, address structural barriers, and prevent violence against women. Nearly all UN member states supported the conclusions, with only the United States voting against them.

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