International legal mechanism for ensuring the right of women prisoners to health.

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of international legal acts regulating the right of women prisoners to health; focuses on problematic issues that need to be addressed, including: creating a safe environment for the health of women prisoners, provision of medical care, protection during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article highlights provisions of the following universal and regional acts of a general nature, which regulate the provision of medical care to prisoners and establish special rules on the status of women prisoners: the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules) (1955 amended); European Prison Rules (2006); the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) (2010). The materials of the international specialized structures of the United Nations, in particular the World Health Organization, namely its European Regional Office, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, etc., which focus on ensuring the right of women prisoners to health, have also been considered. They are: “Health in prisons. A WHO guide to the essentials in prison health” (2008), “Women’s health in prison. Action guidance and checklists to review current policies and practices” (2011), “Prisons and Health” (2014), Joint Statement of International Global Health Institutions, during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime position paper outlining COVID-19 preparedness and responses in prisons etc. The emphasis is placed on practical significance of the webinars “Building Networks Behind Prison Walls” initiated by the United Nations and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which exchange positive practices, develop common approaches to prevention and treatment of certain diseases, continuity of providing medical care for those in need after release, reintegration of prisoners after release into local communities. Relevant conclusions and recommendations have been made in order to improve the situation in the area of ensuring the right of women prisoners to health and the provision of medical care.