ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE EXIGENCIES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN IN NIGERIA: ANY LESSONS FROM ZIMBABWE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM?

Abstract

International correctional practice increasingly acknowledges the gendered dimensions of imprisonment, yet most prison systems continue to reflect a male-oriented model that fails to account for the specific vulnerabilities of women. Utilizing a doctrinal research methodology with comparative tool and interviews, this paper interrogates how Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework addresses the exigencies of female incarceration and probes whether comparative insights from Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom can inform reform. Grounded in the constitutional guarantees of dignity under the 1999 Constitution, the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019 and Standing Orders Custodial 2020, the study examines the scope and limits of existing protections. These are situated against international standards such as the Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules, which both emphasize proportionality, gender-sensitive healthcare, and non-custodial measures for women offenders. The paper explores the realities of female inmates in Nigeria through interviews conducted in select Nigerian correctional facilities. Comparatively, the paper highlighted the Zimbabwean jurisprudence, which has developed constitutional safeguards around dignity and oversight, and the UK which has established statutory and policy frameworks addressing restraints, reproductive healthcare, and community-based alternatives to custody. By synthesizing these approaches, the paper identifies systemic gaps in Nigeria’s custodial system and argues for reforms that strengthen gender-responsive practices, embed international human rights obligations, and expand community sentencing for women. The contribution lies in demonstrating that the humane treatment of incarcerated women is not only a legal imperative but also a measure of societal justice.