International Development Grant
Women and prisons: a gender-sensitive approach
Project Number: CA-3-P011089001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $843,899.00
Start Date: March 11, 2022
End Date: February 28, 2025
Duration: 3.0 years
Project Description
This project supports increasing the protection of women against torture and ill-treatment in the criminal justice systems in 8 priority countries. Project activities include: (1) developing and conducting gender-sensitive monitoring capacity-building programs for independent oversight institutions; (2) providing technical advice to independent oversight institutions on gathering and analyzing data with a gender-sensitive approach; (3) working with independent oversight institutions in developing a framework to analyze law and policy relating to gender-sensitive criminal justice systems; (4) supporting independent oversight institutions in developing and undertaking awareness-raising campaigns on risks to women in detention and alternatives to detention for women; and (5) engaging with judicial and legal actors and the public on the need to address the risks to women in detention and to implement alternatives to detention.
Expected Results
The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) strengthened ability of independent oversight institutions to influence policies and laws based on accurate and reliable data on women in contact with criminal justice systems in priority countries; and (2) increased ability of criminal justice actors to prevent risky practices leading to torture and ill-treatment of women in criminal justice systems including the implementation of alternative measures to detention in priority countries.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of as of December 2022 include: (1) trained all oversight bodies and gained theoretical and practical knowledge on the risks of torture and ill-treatment faced by women and Lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer plus persons deprived of liberty in the criminal justice system and on gender-sensitive monitoring; (2) improved the situation of women in the criminal justice system and became part of the agenda of several oversight bodies governments and judicial authorities illustrating increased capacity to report and formulate recommendations; (3) increased the ability of several criminal justice actors to prevent risky practices leading to torture and ill-treatment of women in criminal justice systems illustrated by several actions. This includes the launch of the online platform "Observa Custodia" with 10 national institutions on the implementation of judicial safeguards in the first hours of detention in the 27 state capitals of Brazil; and (4) implemented training and seminar activities for approximately 400 justice actors across participating countries on discriminatory and risky practices leading to abuses of women.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
Association for the Prevention of Torture
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Foreign Affairs and Trade Gs&Cs