Women prisoners in Uganda.
Women prisoners in Uganda live in shocking conditions, commonly with their children. Many women languish away for years, sometimes without even a conviction. Nutritional support for women or their children is severely lacking ¬¬–– in some cases a mother cannot produce breast milk from lack of nutrition, in others the probable transmission of HIV to their baby deters them. Accommodating women prisoners with medical or prenatal care is extremely rare –– gender-specific needs are seen more as tax on resources than a necessity. No funding for educational or vocational training make it almost impossible for women to fully rehabilitate –– I was told by a Prison Warden in Gulu that the women “didn’t have the right attitude†for literacy and skill-building programs. This is in contrast to their male counterparts who have received and benefited from such programs.