New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Aiming to protect the rights of imprisoned women, the National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar will lead a national consultation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Saturday, officials said.

The consultation on “Laws Relating to Women in Prison”, which is a part of NCW’s nationwide review for 2025-26, aims to identify urgent reforms needed to strengthen the rights, welfare, and dignity of women inmates across India.

According to the NCW, women constitute 4.3 per cent of the prison population, yet in many states they continue to face significant systemic barriers, including overcrowded facilities, inadequate medical and mental-health services, lack of gender-sensitive infrastructure, poor hygiene, and heightened safety vulnerabilities.

The national consultation will bring together experts, prison administrators, and policymakers to deliberate on critical reforms.

To ensure inclusivity and representation, the NCW conducted eight Regional Consultations in Noida, Panaji, Aizawl, Patna, Bhopal, Patiala, Hyderabad, and Dehradun. These consultations generated over 300 expert recommendations, of which 205 key proposals will now be taken up at the national consultation.

Deliberations will focus on key legislations, including the Model Prison Act 2023, Prison Act 1894, Model Prison Manual 2016, Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, and the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 2003.

The core themes of the consultation include gender-sensitive correctional systems, improved medical and mental-health support, rights of incarcerated mothers and their children, safe accommodation for transgender inmates, and humane treatment of foreign national prisoners.

The recommendations emerging from the consultation will contribute to NCW’s final report to the Government of India.

During her visit to the UT starting November 20, Rahatkar also led several important initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s safety and empowerment at the grassroots.

Her interactions included a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi (Retd) at Raj Bhavan to discuss ongoing initiatives and the future roadmap for strengthening women’s welfare across the UT.

She also attended a review meeting with the DGP Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal and the police leadership to assess existing safety mechanisms, enhance policing responses, and strengthen institutional coordination for women’s safety.

The Chairperson also attended a Gender Sensitisation Workshop for Police Personnel in Sri Vijaya Puram to enhance police awareness, sensitivity, and responsiveness in handling cases related to women.

–IANS

rch/uk