Across the world, women in prison face hardships that go far beyond the deprivation of liberty. While incarceration itself is a punishment, too often the conditions in which women are held amount to further, unintended suffering particularly in areas of menstrual hygiene, grooming, maternal care, and emotional well-being.
According to the World Prison Brief, over 740,000 women and girls are held in penal institutions globally, representing about 7% of the total prison population. In Malaysia, as of 2024, women make up 5.9% of all prisoners. About 2.2% are children including those living with their mothers and nearly 41.7% are pre-trial detainees, highlighting serious delays in the justice system.
Many of the women are imprisoned for non-violent, poverty-driven, or survival-related offences, often reflecting broader systemic issues such as gender inequality, lack of access to legal representation, and inadequate alternatives to detention.
The conditions faced by incarcerated women differ starkly between the Global North and Global South. In many countries in the Global North particularly Scandinavia and parts of Western Europe, prison systems have moved toward a rehabilitative model. Facilities are typically well-resourced, with gender-sensitive healthcare, access to hygiene and grooming products, maternal care services, and programs focused on reintegration.
In contrast, prisons in the Global South, including Southeast Asia, often operate under strained budgets, lack gender-specific facilities, and struggle with overcrowding and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
According to a report published by HAYAT for the 88th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (13 – 31 May 2024), there is no adequate access to gender specific healthcare for women prisoners in Malaysia, such as access to a gynaecologist or sufficient sanitary pads.
The situation is similar in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines where incarcerated women frequently lack access to adequate sanitary products, mental health care, or safe spaces for mothering. These disparities reflect not only resource differences, but deeper issues of policy prioritisation and institutional neglect.
In many women’s prisons globally, access to sanitary pads remains limited, inconsistent, or insufficient. While some prison systems provide a basic allocation, it is often not enough especially for women with heavier menstrual flows or those experiencing urinary incontinence. The lack of variety in menstrual hygiene products, such as panty liners or incontinence pads, can force women to endure unnecessary discomfort, humiliation, and shame.
Where state provision is inadequate, incarcerated women frequently rely on family remittances or the generosity of others. This system of dependence not only creates unequal access, but it also reinforces a silent hierarchy of privilege behind bars.
One contributing factor to shortages is outdated or rigid procurement systems that fail to account for fluctuating prison populations. In some countries, undocumented detainees or emergency admissions strain existing resources, often without corresponding adjustments in supply. Hygiene items should never be regarded as optional or dependent on budget forecasts because they are essential to health and dignity.
Restrictions on personal grooming such as banning razors or limiting access to hair and skincare products are frequently justified on security grounds. Yet such measures ignore the psychological toll of being unable to maintain one’s appearance. Facial and body hair left unmanaged, a lack of deodorant, or being denied toothpaste, soap, lotion, lipstick can all contribute to a sense of dehumanization. Self-care is not vanity. For women in custody, it can be a small but vital anchor of self-worth and identity.
Globally, incarcerated mothers especially those with infants in prison face a complex web of unmet needs. Diapers, formula, baby clothes, and maternal healthcare are often in short supply, and mothers without external support struggle to provide for their children. The impact of such deprivation extends beyond the prison walls, shaping the futures of children born into confinement.
Despite public goodwill, pathways for contributing to the welfare of incarcerated women are often opaque. In many jurisdictions, individuals who wish to donate hygiene items or basic necessities are met with unclear procedures or institutional silence. Greater transparency, clear guidelines, and accountability in the handling of donations would help build trust and ensure that support reaches the women who need it.
The Bangkok Rules: A Blueprint for Dignity
The United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders known as the Bangkok Rules offer a comprehensive, gender-sensitive framework to guide humane prison management. These rules emphasize (among others) adequate access to menstrual and hygiene products; gender-specific healthcare, including for pregnant and breastfeeding women; support for imprisoned mothers and their children; and dignified treatment that fosters rehabilitation, not further harm.
Unfortunately, global compliance with these standards remains inconsistent. While some countries have made strides, others cite logistical or bureaucratic hurdles, leaving women’s needs unaddressed. Full adoption of the Bangkok Rules must be seen not as an ideal, but as a minimum standard.
It is vital to remember that women in prison are not faceless criminals. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and survivors. Many are incarcerated for non-violent or survival-based offences. They carry complex histories, traumas, and aspirations. Denying them their hygiene, their care, or their dignity is not justice, it is institutional neglect.
Rehabilitation requires emotionally sensitive environments, not added emotional burdens. Incarceration should not erase womanhood, motherhood, or humanity. Correctional systems around the world must shift from punishment to rehabilitation from control to care.
Let us ensure that wherever they are held, women can bleed with dignity, mother with compassion, groom with pride, and hope with resilience. True justice does not end with a sentence it begins with a system rooted in respect and humanity.
Contributed by —
Dr. Haezreena Begum binti Abdul Hamid,
Criminologist and Senior Lecturer,
Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of ASEAN News
