Bhubaneswar,/ New Delhi, October 28: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory on the “Protection of the Human Rights of Women Prisoners and Their Children.” The advisory has been sent to nine Union Ministries, the Chief Secretaries/Administrators of all States, including Odisha and Union Territories, and the Directors General of Police.

The NHRC has emphasised the need to pay special attention to the rights and needs of women prisoners and their children and to adopt a gender-sensitive approach. It has also called for ensuring appropriate prison conditions, maternal and child healthcare, access to justice, protection of family relationships, safeguarding the best interests of children, and meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

The advisory focuses on 10 key areas. These include pre-admission measures, arrest and admission to prison, admission-related records, children’s information and documentation, healthcare and medical services, mental health, living conditions of women prisoners, hygiene, welfare and sensitivity, children living with prisoners or staying separately from them, communication and family visits, prison administration, legal aid and access to justice, gender-friendly facilities and welfare measures when women prisoners are produced before courts, rehabilitation, post-release support and reintegration into society, and foreign national prisoners.

The detailed advisory is available at:https://nhrc.nic.in/flipbook/other_advisories/46

The NHRC has requested all concerned authorities to implement the recommendations outlined in the advisory. It has also directed them to submit a report within two months detailing the steps taken and the progress made in implementing the recommendations.