Gender behind bars: human rights violations in women’s prisons : applying a feminist criminology approach to the case of Paraguay

Abstract

The particularities of Human Rights violations that women in prison have suffered are often overshadowed by those of their male counterparts. This research underscores how gender plays into a systematic form of oppression and has a major impact on the aforementioned Human Rights violations. To better understand this correlation, six areas were analysed: (1) excessive pretrial detention, (2) physical conditions, (3) mental healthcare, (4) education, (5) sexual and reproductive rights and (6) sexual Abuse. Paraguay was chosen as a case study, where interviews with women deprived of their liberty together with criminal justice system professionals were conducted. The results show how gender interacts with Human Rights violations at different levels and to varying degrees. Moreover, the notion that gender is an explanatory variable of these violations from a structural perspective can always be inferred. The implication of this conclusion is clear, more effort should be made to uncover the mechanisms through which gender is playing a major role in the occurrence of Human Rights violations of women in prison, so as to tackle the problem from its roots. Key words: Human Rights, women in prison, gender, feminist criminology, Paraguay