Gender-Responsive Policies and Technology Alleviate the Plight of Filipino Women Deprived of Liberty (PID061)

2.15pm – 3pm ICT, 25 February 2025 ‐ 45 mins

Workshop Session

There are enormous challenges in correctional facilities for women deprived of liberty (WDL). Congestion, gender-specific needs, health and nutritional concerns fall into these, which are among the main issues tackled by the author in this research. She shares her findings on how the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW), and female detention centers in the Philippines address these challenges.
These correctional and rehabilitation facilities have initiatives which are gender-sensitive and in keeping with technological advancements. It is interesting to know how these Philippine custodians of WDL utilize pragmatic and creative efforts, as well as collaborative endeavors in implementing gender-sensitive policies and utilizing technology in maintaining the connections of WDL with their families.
In this presentation, the familial ties of Filipinos are highlighted in situations where the WDL, especially mothers and wives, find both strength and solace as they communicate through electronic visitation (e-visitation) with their loved ones. Even in this post-pandemic times, e-visitation is still being accorded to WDL (and other persons deprived of liberty or PDLs) in the Philippines, since majority of them are indigent; thus, their families find it hard to visit them due to financial constraints.
This research is conducted with a human rights-based approach and gender-sensitive perspective. Its empirical data are largely based on the information gathered by the author and the jail visitations teams from the Public Attorney’s Office or PAO. The efforts of PAO regarding the legal, medical, dental, and optical concerns of WDL (and other PDLs) are shared in this presentation.