Empowering Incarcerated Women/Girls towards Self-reliance & Rehabilitation - Voice.Global

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Grant

Empowerment Grant

Call for Proposal

The Unreached in the Lead! Nigeria Empowerment Grant V-19122-NG-EM

Amount Funded

24,283 EURO

Project Duration

01 May 2020 - 31 Mar 2021
Rightsholder Groups
- Women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence
Impact Themes
- Improved Access to Social Services, Health and Education
Lead organisation

Association of Female Inmates and Returned Citizens (AFIRC)
RELATED PROJECTS
- Access to Self Reliance for Female Inmates
- Accès à l'autonomie pour les femmes détenues
Partners

Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO)
Country
- Nigeria

Organisation

The Association of Female Inmates and Returned Citizens (AFIRC) is an informal group of women who have either finished their prison term or still serving their sentence in prison in Nigeria.

The group is not yet formalised as a formal organisation but it represents the interests of women within and outside the prison walls. After all, they share the horrible experiences that characterise prisons in Nigeria and want to change that narrative.

It is an emerging community of these peculiar citizens who are ready to contribute to the process of prison reform in Nigeria.

CAPIO is a co-applicant that has implemented a number of projects. In 2019, CAPIO implemented a VOICE funded project which has successfully institutionalised a gender-sensitive approach to the treatment of women inmates in Nigeria.
- Organisation
  
  The Association of Female Inmates and Returned Citizens (AFIRC) is an informal group of women who have either finished their prison term or still serving their sentence in prison in Nigeria.
  
  The group is not yet formalised as a formal organisation but it represents the interests of women within and outside the prison walls. After all, they share the horrible experiences that characterise prisons in Nigeria and want to change that narrative.
  
  It is an emerging community of these peculiar citizens who are ready to contribute to the process of prison reform in Nigeria.
  
  CAPIO is a co-applicant that has implemented a number of projects. In 2019, CAPIO implemented a VOICE funded project which has successfully institutionalised a gender-sensitive approach to the treatment of women inmates in Nigeria.
- Project
  
  The project Empowering Incarcerated Women/Girls towards Self-reliance and Healthy Rehabilitation in Nigeria is providing a safe space and friendly environment for female inmates and female ex-inmates (returned citizens) to lead the process of promoting and participating in gender-based empowerment activities for women and girls in incarceration.
  
  People in custody in Nigeria are regarded as criminals even before a court of competent jurisdiction determines their cases. Women and girls face great challenges in terms of hygiene and sanitation in custody. For girls who are menstruating, the difficulties posted on them by the inability to afford sanitary pads as well as lack of considerable attention given to the issue by Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) is unimaginable.
  
  As a result of this, many women and girls in custody are forced to use unhygienic materials as an alternative in an environment that is unacceptably inhabitable. This factor has resulted in a persistent increase in the incidence and prevalence of diseases among female inmate.
  
  The project is improving women inmates health knowledge on sexual and reproductive health education as well as hygiene and sanitation that will engender positive health behaviour among female ex-inmates and women in incarceration and empower females-inmates with sustainable skills of producing sanitary pads for healthy prison experience and self-reliance.
Project

The project Empowering Incarcerated Women/Girls towards Self-reliance and Healthy Rehabilitation in Nigeria is providing a safe space and friendly environment for female inmates and female ex-inmates (returned citizens) to lead the process of promoting and participating in gender-based empowerment activities for women and girls in incarceration.

People in custody in Nigeria are regarded as criminals even before a court of competent jurisdiction determines their cases. Women and girls face great challenges in terms of hygiene and sanitation in custody. For girls who are menstruating, the difficulties posted on them by the inability to afford sanitary pads as well as lack of considerable attention given to the issue by Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) is unimaginable.

As a result of this, many women and girls in custody are forced to use unhygienic materials as an alternative in an environment that is unacceptably inhabitable. This factor has resulted in a persistent increase in the incidence and prevalence of diseases among female inmate.

The project is improving women inmates health knowledge on sexual and reproductive health education as well as hygiene and sanitation that will engender positive health behaviour among female ex-inmates and women in incarceration and empower females-inmates with sustainable skills of producing sanitary pads for healthy prison experience and self-reliance.

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