Will You Help Incarcerated Women Today?
Incarcerated women need your support! The Women In Conflict Project is asking you to donate today to help get basic yet essential hygiene and reproductive health products to people behind bars. People incarcerated in South Africa – in police holding cells, awaiting trial, or sentenced to prison – are struggling from a lack of basic hygiene and reproductive health materials. Jennifer*, a formerly incarcerated woman, explains:
“DCS officials give a big cell — a cell of 30 to 35 people — four toilet paper rolls a week and there were no sanitary towels. There is only one toilet, one shower, and one basin for every four cells. It is impossible to maintain good health and hygiene in these conditions.”
It will take a long time — and a lot of resources — to address the many challenges incarcerated women face. However, by making a donation today, you can make a difference in the life of an incarcerated woman and other people who menstruate by allowing them the dignity and care that they deserve.
Your donation will help incarcerated women get the personal hygiene supplies they need, such as:
- Toilet paper
- Sanitary pads
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Soap
- Deodorant
- Body lotion
- Shaving sticks
- Face towels
You can make a big difference in the lives of incarcerated women by donating today!
This incredible campaign was started by formerly incarcerated women and their families who kick-started donations to help restore dignity and health for those still behind bars. Your donation, of any amount — R25, R50, or R75 — will go a long way.
As Olivia*, another formerly incarcerated woman, said, your donation will “give women a little bit more self-respect inside prison”. In fact, R150 is enough to buy all these items for one person. JDI-SA will assist the Women In Conflict Project to make sure that your gift gets to a person who urgently needs it.
Your donation will also help with realising incarcerated women’s vision for change, as expressed by Sandra, below:
“Fear, humiliation, and low self-esteem are some of the emotions incarcerated women experience. Now, imagine on top of all these emotions, so many of these women lose their dignity! Seeing the embarrassment in a fellow sister’s eyes because she has no roll-on, seeing an embarrassed sister because the pads she received are not enough. These are just two of the ways I have seen my fellow sisters lose their dignity during incarceration. Some women are not able to purchase these basic essentials. That’s why our vision for change is a toiletry parcel that will help women not to lose their dignity.”
Figure 1: An incarcerated woman made this artwork representing her vision for change for essential toiletries in the correctional facility.
Thank you for your generosity!
About the Women in Conflict Project
The Women in Conflict Project is a collective of women who are currently and formerly incarcerated, interdisciplinary scholars, and civil society organisations. The collective is dedicated to addressing the challenges women face before, during, and after detention through arts-based research and advocacy. Through one of the project’s initiatives, women incarcerated in South Africa took part in art workshops and discussions to explore the challenges they face in their communities and in correctional facilities to develop visions for change. The research was led by Dr Taylor Paige Winfield (McGill University, University of KwaZulu-Natal), in collaboration with Dr Claudia Mitchell (McGill University), Dr Relebohile Moletsane (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Dr Nokukhanya Mbonambi (University of Pretoria), Dr Azar Mahmoudi (McGill University) and community partners, Just Detention International–South Africa.
About Just Detention International–South Africa
Just Detention International–South Africa (JDI-SA) is a health and human rights organisation that seeks to end sexual abuse in all forms of detention. JDI-SA is the only organisation in Africa dedicated to ending sexual abuse in detention.
JDI-SA works to hold government accountable for prisoner rape, promote public attitudes that value the dignity and safety of incarcerated people, and ensure that survivors of this violence can get the help they need and deserve. To learn more please visit www.southafrica.justdetention.org/