Advocacy for recognition of the reality of women sentenced to death at the first Women in Corrections conference
Advocacy
A World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (World Coalition) delegation participated in the first Women in Corrections Conference (WICC), held in Bangkok, Thailand, in February 2025.
Organized by the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) and the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), this landmark event commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Bangkok Rules — the United Nations’ framework for addressing the specific needs and rights of women in the criminal justice system.
The World Coalition delegation was composed of Olivia Rope from Penal Reform International (PRI), Aisya Humaida from LBH Masyarakat (LBHM), Méline Szwarcberg from the World Coalition Women and Susan Kigula Founder of Sunny African Children’s Center and a representative of the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women. Other members of the World Coalition; Hope Behind Bars Africa, the Human Rights Office and Women Beyond Walls, were also present.
During the conference, the World Coalition delegation organized a powerful panel discussion titled “Pathways and Treatment of Women Serving a Death or Life Imprisonment Sentence,” shedding light on the realities faced by women serving extreme sentences.
During the panel, Aisya Humaida highlighted the systemic injustices faced by marginalized women in Indonesia, often sentenced to death or life imprisonment for drug-related offenses, with limited legal support, prone to experience torture and inadequate prison conditions. Olivia Rope stressed the need to address gendered pathways to prison — shaped by poverty, abuse, and coercion — and called for the full implementation of the Bangkok Rules in relation to women who are on death row, noting that conditions they experience are typically harsher. Susan Kigula vividly recounted the story of her 16 years in detention, 14 of which were spent on death row in Uganda. She highlighted the harsh realities of death row detention, including the psychological impact of the “death row phenomenon” – the intense mental suffering caused by isolation and the possible threat of execution.
The panel wrapped up with a call to action, advocating for the abolition of the death penalty and a move away from punitive measures toward rehabilitation and justice. Political decision-makers were urged to implement the Bangkok Rules by fostering gender-sensitive penitentiaries that consider the specific realities of women serving extreme sentences, ensuring access to quality legal representation, and supporting programs that address the root causes of women’s criminalization.
It also served as a powerful reminder that lasting change in the criminal justice system depends on prioritizing the voices of those directly affected – women with lived experience – in policy-making and reform.
The World Coalition’s participation in the WICC has enhanced its efforts to shed light on the realities faced by women on death row and to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders advocating for and supporting women in contact with the law.
