ACJ 2015 ACT AS A TOOL FOR ACHIEVING GENDER INCLUSION AND EQUITY - VOL. 17 SEPTEMBER, 2023

Abstract

Although everyone could face immense challenges in accessing justice, women face extreme vulnerability in the criminal justice system, exacerbated by many factors directly associated with their gender; women are vulnerable to sexual abuse and other forms of violence in detention and prisons, could be intimidated by contact with and interrogation by men, and their peculiar needs in the criminal justice system could be ignored, including exposure to verbal abuse and shaming, improper touching during searches, frequent and unnecessary searching, spying on female prisoners during showers, as well as inadequate provisions for their distinct health- and welfare-related needs.