Speaking elements for Gianluca Esposito’s speech
12 November 2025, 9:30 am
(meeting room 7, Palais Building)
Welcome, distinguished guests and colleagues, to the Multilateral Meeting on “Enhancing Gender-Sensitive Prison Policies and Practices in Council of Europe Member States.” I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the representatives of 40 Member States, penitentiary administrations, practitioners, and experts for joining us today.
This annual gathering to address a specific prison theme has become an important tradition over the past 10 years. These meetings provide a unique opportunity for practitioners in the prison field to discuss challenges, share best practices, and explore the development of standards through close cooperation with the Council of Europe, guided by the work of our monitoring bodies, notably the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT).
Such thematic meetings are invaluable for mutual learning and for reinforcing the strong and productive relationship between the Council of Europe and its Member States.
This year holds particular significance as we commemorate the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Bangkok Rules. The focus on women reflects our shared ambition to make systems of deprivation of liberty more humane, inclusive and effective.
Statistics across Europe and globally can be misleading if taken at face value: prisons remain overwhelmingly male-dominated. On average, 94.6% of inmates are men, while women comprise only 5.4% of the prison population. These figures are remarkably consistent across the continent, with a few countries have higher percentages such as Czechia (8.8%), Hungary (8.4%), and Finland (8.0%). Thus, while women constitute over 50% of society, they make up only about 5% of the prison population.
Gender disparities in imprisonment reflect complex and systemic factors. Men are far more likely to engage in violent behaviour, often linked to societal constructions of masculinity, whereas women are more frequently associated with non-violent offences. Sentencing practices also reveal this gender gap: women are generally more likely to receive community-based sanctions, partly due to recognition of their caregiving roles. Data supports this trend: while women represent only 5.4% of Europe’s prison population, they account for 11.9% of probationers, illustrating how gender influences both pathways into crime and outcomes in the justice system (Council of Europe, SPACE II Report, 2024).
Statistics on women in prison fail to reflect the full reality of their situation because most prisons are designed around the needs and behaviours of men, who make up the majority of the prison population. As a result, women’s distinct circumstances—such as histories of trauma, violence, notably gender-based violence prior to imprisonment, caregiving responsibilities and mental health issues—are often overlooked.
Moreover, the smaller number of women in prison makes it harder for authorities to place them near their families or to invest sufficient resources to address their specific needs - dedicated facilities and programmes, including training and education programmes that will assist them with preparing for their reintegration into the community. Women’s specific needs are often largely overlooked and unmet.
It is important to acknowledge that women often enter prison through circumstances shaped by poverty, trauma, and inequality, and that their needs cannot be met through a gender-neutral approach. By emphasising dignity, fairness, and meaningful alternatives to incarceration, we uphold fundamental human rights while also strengthening the prospects of rehabilitation and safer communities.
In this endeavour, we can draw guidance from the standards developed by the CPT which translates broad principles into concrete safeguards and has consistently highlighted the gender-specific needs of women in detention, stressing the need for: gender-specific healthcare services, equal access to healthcare, humane treatment during pregnancy and motherhood taking into account the best interest of the child, and meaningful support to maintain family ties. These are not abstract ideals—they are practical measures that prevent harm, reduce suffering, and create environments to support reintegration.
The CPT visit reports and standards provide a framework for how women should be treated in prison. The CPT will be issuing a comprehensive updated standard in this area, which we shall hear about shortly. The task ahead of us—and of all of you—is to ensure these basic standards become the norm in practice, setting the benchmark for how every woman, everywhere, is treated when held in prison. Their relevance lies in promoting dignity, reducing reoffending, and fostering more just, humane, and equitable prison systems that break cycles of inequality rather than perpetuate them. Our shared goal today is to ensure these principles move beyond paper and are translated into real, lasting change.
In conclusion, I thank all participants for their commitment and dedication, and I wish everyone a very productive and successful meeting.
