Nuestro boletín informativo en español
Notre newsletter en français
Dear friends,
We are creating the first open-source global map of civil society groups supporting women who have been arrested, are on trial, are incarcerated, or have been released, as well as their children and families. The map will launch in September 2026. If you want your organisation, or other great organisations you know of, to be included in the 2026 iteration of the map you need to get those forms filled out now! The form only takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Across the world, organisations doing vital work with criminalised and incarcerated women are often under-recognised and underfunded. This map aims to raise the visibility of this work, connect organisations across regions and sectors, identify gaps in support, and strengthen collaboration globally. The map will be free and open-source, and will be a valuable resource for the movement, donors, media, and others.
The form is available in the following languages — please share urgently and widely with organisations and networks who should be included before the 7 June deadline:
● English
● French
● Spanish
● Arabic
As mentioned in our April newsletter, at the Women Deliver 2026 Conference we co-hosted the Prison is a Feminist Issue: Reimagining Justice Concurrent Session alongside Sisters Inside and many other amazing partners.. At the session we asked: what needs to change so that poverty and status are not pathways to criminalisation for women and girls?
You can read the full report from the workshop here. Below is a graphic highlighting the key areas attendees identified as needing urgent action.
🇨🇦 Canada - Women’s incarceration rates have doubled and Edmonton prison for men being turned into a women’s prison.
🇸🇻 El Salvador – May marks one year since human rights lawyer Ruth López was imprisoned for defending truth and exposing corruption in El Salvador. She remains unjustly detained.
🇳🇬 Nigeria – On 15th May the ECOWAS Court of Justice ordered Nigeria to urgently decongest its overcrowded correctional facilities and end the prolonged detention of people held in pre-trial detention. This order came following findings of human rights concerns from an NGO which violate several provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The report requires Nigeria to submit a detailed compliance report within six months including updated statistics on the number of people released or prosecuted – read more here.
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone –Lawyers, politicians and activists have called for the release of one of Sierra Leone’s best-known celebrities, Zainab Sheriff, who they said was unjustly imprisoned as part of a government crackdown on free speech and political dissent. Read further in this article as part of The Guardian’s Women in Prison series.
🇸🇴 Somalia – Sadia Moalim Ali was held in prison in Somalia for taking part in peaceful protests. She described how she was tortured by her guards.
🇬🇧 UK – HMP Styal, a prison near Wilmslow in the UK, will be included in the independent investigation led by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman on the use of restraints for pregnant incarcerated women. The investigation will cover incidents from 2021 to 2025, and will look into whether policies were breached where restraints were used and women experienced inhumane or degrading treatment.
🇺🇸 USA – Two women have died whilst incarcerated in the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Michigan, USA. The family of one of the women, Khaira Howard, have raised serious concerns that their daughter was denied proper medical treatment and are now seeking justice for Khaira. An investigation is also being conducted into the death of Rebecca Fackler, who died shortly before Khaira in the facility.
🇺🇸 USA – Several women who have experienced incarceration at the women’s prison in Cibola County, New Mexico, are suing the state Corrections Department over the actions and inactions regarding the abuse enacted by corrections officers. Court records reflect significant issues with the outcome of investigations into officers who raped women in prison, including plea deals that didn’t require them to serve prison time or register as sex offenders.
🇺🇸 USA , Idaho is using solitary confinement for overflow housing because it can’t keep up with rising incarceration rates.
Register for the European Justice Education & Leadership Summit, taking place on 17–18 September 2026 at VHS Simmering, Vienna, 🇦🇹 Austria. The two-day international conference aims to bring together justice professionals, researchers, educators, policymakers, and civil society practitioners from across Europe for two days of strategic dialogue and connection. You can explore the full programme here.
A call for papers from the Centre for Criminal Justice and Security at the University of the West Indies ahead of the 4th Caribbean Conference on Crime and Criminal Justice, taking place 1–3 December 2026 in Montego Bay, 🇯🇲 Jamaica. The deadline for abstracts is ⏰ 1st July 2026 – you can find out more here.
If you’re in the UK there’s still time to support Level Up’s petition for Islington Council to fulfil their promise of turning the former HMP Holloway site into a women’s centre, providing a safe space and services for women in London.
Colectivo Artesana, have launched a new initiative: La Casa de las Mujeres (The House of Women) — Guatemala’s first self-sustaining cooperative led by formerly incarcerated women, focused on catering services, culinary training, and therapy and are fundraising to support the initiative.
At a time when leadership often feels extractive, authoritarian, or disconnected from reality, We Are Feminist Leaders’ 12-week Feminist Leadership Programme offers another path. A space to reflect, challenge assumptions, build community, and reimagine what leadership can be. 👉 Registrations are now open for the September 2026 programme: https://lnkd.in/geukgfgM
The Justice Within Reach campaign was launched in May by Pathfinders, IDLO and other stakeholders. This is a new global initiative to realise the transformative promise of diverse pathways to people-centred justice by securing political commitment, mobilising investment, and strengthening local leadership.
Mobilise Power Fund for Gender Justice Organisations - 🌍 🇺🇸 United States only | 💰 Individual organisations can receive up to $10,000 in funding; coalitions or collaborations involving two or more groups can request up to $20,000. 🗓️ Deadline: 02 June 2026. ⏰🎯 The Mobilise Power Fund is a rapid-response grant programme designed to support gender justice organisations facing urgent and unexpected disruptions or opportunities. It helps organisations adjust or pivot their work quickly in response to changing conditions affecting their organising environments. The fund prioritises immediate action over long-term planning and is focused on strengthening community-rooted gender justice work.
Fondo Impulsa Derechos: Co-Lab para la Debida Diligencia – Fundación Avina / AECID - 🌍 🇨🇴 🇬🇹 🇵🇦 Colombia, Guatemala y Panamá | 💰 Entre $5,000 y $20,000 USD | ⏰ 🗓️ 28 de mayo de 2026 | 🌐 ES | 🎯 Fondo de subvenciones para organizaciones de la sociedad civil, colectivos comunitarios, colectivas de mujeres, sindicatos, organizaciones indígenas o ambientales, y redes de base. El objetivo es fortalecer la participación efectiva de grupos de interés en procesos de Debida Diligencia en Derechos Humanos (DDDH) de empresas españolas que operan en la región, especialmente en sectores como energía, agroindustria, minería e infraestructura.
Grants Programme – National Endowment for Democracy (NED) - Global (100+ countries; excludes established democracies) Democracy, human rights, media freedom, civil society strengthening, rule of law, civic education N/A (varies per project) ⏰ 2 June 2026 EN / FR / ES / PT / AR / FA ⏰ Rolling grants programme supporting non-governmental organisations working to advance democratic values and strengthen civil society in diverse political environments — including nascent democracies, countries in transition, semi-authoritarian, and highly repressive contexts.
Together Women Rise – Featured Grants Programme - Global South (Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, parts of the Middle East and Oceania) Women’s rights, gender equality, economic opportunity, education, health, climate justice, safety and security $35,000–$50,000 USD over two years ⏰ 5 June 2026 EN ⏰ Two-year grants for organisations empowering women and girls in low-income and marginalised communities in the Global South. Supports new programmes, expansion of existing programmes, and capacity building. At least 12 grants awarded per year. Applicants must be women-led (50%+ of leadership), have at least three years of on-the-ground operations in the Global South, and a minimum annual operating budget of $100,000. International organisations without US 501(c)(3) status may apply through a US fiscal sponsor, provided that relationship has existed for at least 12 months.
AmplifyChange – Strengthening Grant - Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (55 eligible countries) Sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, abortion access, inclusion, SRHR education, climate justice, mental health £100,000–£200,000 GBP (2–3 years) ⏰ 16 June 2026 ( portal registration closes 5 June) EN / FR Two to three-year grants for small to medium civil society organisations (annual expenditure between £150,000–£350,000) working on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy. Up to 40% of the grant can fund organisational development costs. Priority themes include violence, abortion, inclusion, and SRHR education and access. At least 30% of funding will go to projects focused on ensuring government funding for SRHR. Organisations must be registered and implementing work in one of AmplifyChange’s 55 eligible countries. New applicants must register on the portal before 5 June.
Fondo de Coyuntura Política (FCP) – Alianza Surge / Fundación Avina - México (preferencia por organizaciones fuera de la Ciudad de México) Democracia, derechos humanos, justicia climática, espacio cívico, incidencia política, activación social Hasta $120,000 MXN (aproximadamente $6,000 USD) Rolling ES Fondo de respuesta rápida para organizaciones, colectivas, grupos de base y coaliciones en México que identifiquen oportunidades de acción estratégica en coyunturas políticas o sociales. Apoya iniciativas de activación política (acciones culturales, comunicación, defensa de la democracia) e incidencia política (creación o reforma de políticas públicas) con resultados esperados en los próximos cuatro meses. No es necesario estar constituido legalmente. Se priorizan organizaciones fuera de CDMX. Duración máxima: 6 meses.
Rising Stars Mentorship Programme – People Powered - Global Participatory democracy, civic participation, community governance 26 June 2026 ⏰ Free mentorship programme that matches advocates, government officials, and civil society practitioners with experienced experts in participatory democracy. Mentees receive up to five one-on-one or group sessions over six months to get hands-on support for launching or improving participatory programmes — from participatory budgeting to citizens’ assemblies. Mentors come from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and beyond.
📝 Penal Reform International’s 2026 Global Prison Trends report is out. The report examines pressures on the rule of law and the criminalisation of poverty and marginalised groups. It also analyses the impact of armed conflict on detention systems, including ongoing gaps in healthcare and mental health provision.
PRI is launching the Global Prison Trends report at a CCPCJ35 side event on ⏰ Thursday 4 June 2026, 11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. (CEST, Vienna time), hybrid in Room M5, Vienna International Centre or join online through Zoom (meeting ID 879 2242 5028 / passcode: 791176). Organised by PRI and supported by Finland, the Thailand Institute of Justice, ILANUD, OHCHR, the International Legal Foundation, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, and Youth Rise. With the global prison population estimated at 11.7 million, the report examines persistent overcrowding, the overuse of pre-trial detention, pressures on the rule of law, the growing role of organised crime in prisons, and the criminalisation of poverty and marginalised groups, as well as the impact of armed conflict on detention systems and ongoing gaps in healthcare and mental health provision.
📘 We are looking forward to reading Justine van der Leun’s new book, Unreasonable Women, which will be published on the 2nd of June. The book explores the stories of women who survived violence, only to find themselves criminally prosecuted and failed by the system. The stories span seven years of Justine’s reporting and input from over 1000 women.
🎧 Listen to the new episode of JUSTICE podcast which explores the stigma associated with being a woman in prison. The episode features Jules Rowan, the co-host of the Life After Prison podcast, who describes her journey from serving a prison sentence to becoming a personal trainer. The important theme of empowering women to be able to tell their own story and shift the stigma around incarceration shines through in the episode.
🎧 Another podcast recommendation – Self-Identities: Conversations with Convicted Women. The podcast is recorded within two correctional facilities for women in Pennsylvania, featuring in-depth conversations with incarcerated women serving life sentences. The podcast is vital in shifting the focus “away from sensationalised true crime and toward genuine understanding”, encouraging listeners to engaged with “the complexities of identity, resilience, and lived experience within the criminal justice system.” The podcast can be accessed on major platforms including Spotify and Apple.
📘 Read the story of Ruth López, a human rights lawyer who was imprisoned in May 2025 for defending truth and exposing corruption in El Salvador. Ruth remains unjustly detained without trial and due process, and the Fund for Global Human Rights report on how countless friends, colleagues and allies continue to speak out tirelessly for Ruth’s rights.
🧾 The Marshall Project have published their latest news issue, Women on the Inside, which examines the unique challenges incarcerated women experience.
🧾 Women and Prison have also published their Spring edition of their Still I Rise magazine which covers resettlement and the challenges women face upon release – a must read!
📘 Another powerful read from Ruthanne Barry - Pregnancy in Prison: A Reality That Lives Behind Silence.
“At its core, this is not only about prison. It is about how we hold women during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. It is about whether systems are capable of recognising that a sentence does not remove humanity, and that life continues to unfold even in places designed for confinement.” - Ruthanne Barry
📘 In an article about the Justice for All Series at The Old Bailey and the recent Justice for Prison Leavers event, Robert Hughes-Penney from City of London explores the economic importance of justice for prison leavers including employing and investing in prison leavers.
🧾 Sisters Inside have released a report into the Family Policing System in Queensland, Australia.
📘 Read another important story of incarceration published in The Independent. Rachel’s story demonstrates a heart-wrenching example of mothers being separated from their children due to incarceration, and the long-lasting impact of this beyond the prison sentence.
🎧 Listen to this New Yorker radio hour episode, Growing Up with a Mother In Prison
PS: Please don’t forget this week is your last chance to fill in and share the global mapping form! This will be a resource for all of us, and the more of us that join in, the more useful that resource will be.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.