Pathways and Treatment of Women Serving a Death or Life Imprisonment Sentence (PID143)

2pm – 2.30pm EST, 19 February 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Parallel Workshops

Over 500 women are currently on death row globally, often for crimes such as murder or drug trafficking, frequently committed within contexts of poverty, gender-based violence, or discrimination. Women represent about 5% of the death row population, and 3% of those serving formal life sentences, a figure that is expected to grow with the rising female prison population.
This presentation will address the pathways to imprisonment and prison conditions for women serving extreme sentences. Focusing on human rights and gender-specific needs, it will advocate for applying the Bangkok Rules to improve prison conditions and support reform efforts.
The session will explore three main areas: pathways to imprisonment, highlighting issues such as systemic discrimination and unacknowledged trauma; prison conditions, noting severe psychological challenges like ‘death row syndrome’; and implementing the Bangkok Rules, discussing the gaps in current correctional practices. A speaker with death row experience will provide insights on systemic issues and reforms.
Organisations like Penal Reform International, the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, and the World Coalition against the Death Penalty support this initiative, aiming to enhance understanding and protection for this vulnerable group. The session will conclude with a Q&A, exploring questions around integrating gender-responsive approaches into justice systems and the role of women with lived experience in shaping policy. The call for better data and research underscores the need to address the unique needs of women facing death or life imprisonment sentences.