From poverty to punishment: Examining laws and practices which criminalise women due to poverty or status worldwide

From Poverty to punishment: Examining laws and practices which criminalise women due to poverty or status worldwide exposes how laws and policies disproportionately criminalise women due to their socio-economic status and vulnerabilities. Published by Penal Reform International and Women Beyond Walls—both members of the Global Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status—the report calls for urgent reforms to stop the criminalisation of women for poverty, survival strategies and gendered norms.

The global number of women in prison has surged by 57% since 2000, rising at a faster rate than men’s imprisonment. Many are imprisoned for minor, non-violent offences linked to poverty, gender discrimination and structural inequalities, with laws disproportionately penalising them for life-sustaining activities such as petty theft, begging, or informal work.

Harsh drug laws further contribute to this crisis, with 35% of imprisoned women sentenced for drug-related offences, often without consideration of coercion or economic vulnerability. Women are also criminalised under “morality” laws, facing imprisonment for adultery, dress code violations, same-sex relationships, or even seeking reproductive healthcare.

Despite the scale of this issue, policies addressing women’s imprisonment remain neglected and critically underfunded. Urgent reforms are needed to decriminalise poverty-related offences, adopt gender-responsive justice policies and centre the voices of affected women to drive meaningful, evidence-based change.