BEYOND BARS: INTERSECTIONAL REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN IN INDIA

Abstract

The prison system in India, historically rooted in retribution and deterrence, paradoxically denies incarcerated women their basic reproductive rights. Despite constituting only 4% of the prison population, female inmates face chronic neglect of prenatal, postnatal, menstrual, and abortion care—rights nominally protected by gender specific legal provisions. Employing an intersectional feminist lens, this study interrogates how gender intersects with caste, religion, and socioeconomic status to exacerbate reproductive injustices behind bars. Drawing on reports from national and state commissions, it exposes the stark gap between policy recommendations and on ground realities, revealing systemic failures that contravene fundamental human rights. By mapping these discrepancies, the paper advocates urgent structural and policy reforms—ranging from enhanced healthcare infrastructure to robust oversight mechanisms—to restore dignity and autonomy to imprisoned women. Situating reproductive justice within broader gender equality and human rights discourses, it underscores the imperative of transformative change in India’s carceral institutions.