International Women’s Day 2025: Accelerating action for women in the justice system
This year International Women’s Day focuses on the need to Accelerate Action. It emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.
Evidence overwhelmingly aligns with what our members tell us, which is that the behaviour of women in the criminal justice system is driven by experiences of trauma, abuse and untreated mental ill health. Sadly, too often prison and probation services serve to further entrap women in the cycle of crisis and crime because they do not address the trauma that caused the offending behaviour.
In 2006, the Corston Report was published. The Report called for a radical reform of the women’s prison system, advocating for a shift from incarceration to community-based support for vulnerable women and emphasising the need for gender-specific, trauma-informed approaches to address issues such as mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence.
The Report – and the years of activism that preceded and followed – outlined the solutions to break the cycle of crisis and crime for vulnerable women. Nearly 20 years later, the picture for women’s justice can often still seem bleak. Yet, our powerful, driven and inspirational Women’s Forum members demonstrate through their words and actions that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
They have been at the forefront of an ever-louder call for transformative change in the way the justice system treats women and girls, using their lived experience to show that with the right tailored help, where root causes are addressed and meaningful support is offered, lives can be rebuilt and a brighter future grasped.
We are encouraged by the progress made over the last year, with the launch of the Women’s Justice Board marking what we hope will be the start of a fundamental rethink of the treatment of women in the justice system and a move towards evidence-based approaches that heal, not harm.
There is further to go on the journey, but for International Women’s Day, we have an opportunity to celebrate the progress that brave, determined women such as our members have been instrumental in shaping. These are their reflections:
N’s reflections
“Over the years, I’ve accumulated so many labels, each one defining me in ways that never truly reflected who I am. My struggles ultimately brought me into the revolving door of the criminal justice system, shaped by my upbringing, a lack of support, and unmet needs. But today, things are different. I have been awarded a bursary to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and I’m deeply involved in activism. I helped shape a new strategy with Women In Prison (WIP), and their support was a key part of breaking the cycle for me. When I was on a Community Order, I attended the Women’s Hub during what was a particularly dark period. That’s when I was referred to Clean Break, which played a crucial role in turning my life around. WIP also funded my therapy, and between all of these pivotal moments, I found the support that truly transformed the trajectory of my life.
I now see the power of having people who care, believe, and support you. I’m a huge advocate for giving people purpose, because when you lack purpose it’s easy to drift, to handle things the wrong way, to make choices you later regret. Today, I have so much to lose, and that keeps me grounded. If I stumble, I know I have a support system to help me maintain my sobriety. But I still ask myself: why did I have to get a conviction to receive the support I desperately needed? If that help had been there earlier, I truly believe I could have been successful much sooner. It never should have taken that path.”
J’s reflections
“Women who have been through the criminal justice and come out of the pathway need continuous support with their past. Women feel differently to men and think different and will need support with their mental health they will feel guilty for what they have done. And this can be a weak spot in dealing with their past experiences and there will be temptations all around them that can block out their emotions and that is why women get caught up in the revolving doors of crisis and crime. Women who have lost their children due to their past need encouragement and to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for them.
Too often women like me are made to feel worthless when they get caught in the trap. This needs to change.”
C’s reflections
“It wasn’t the courts, prisons, or police that helped me break free, it was people. The love and care I received from organisations like The Children’s Society and Just for Kids Law were life-changing. They saw past the mistakes and recognised the vulnerabilities beneath. They supported me non-judgementally, helping me piece my life back together one small step at a time.
Going through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) was an important acknowledgment that I had been exploited, but legal recognition alone doesn’t fix your life. What made the difference was having people who believed in me, who stood by me as I tackled addiction, mental health struggles, and rebuilding my life.
Now, I use my experience to campaign alongside some incredible charities like Revolving Doors, shaping services and policies to create a system that truly supports women out of the revolving door of crisis and crime.”
International Women’s Day reminds us not only to celebrate women’s resilience but to take meaningful action to change systems to break the cycle of crisis and crime.
The stories of Natasha, Charlie, and Jeanette powerfully illustrate the vital role that compassion, understanding, and proper support play in helping women out of the revolving door.
They are living proof that if we are serious about accelerating action, we must listen to the voices of women with lived experience and take the opportunity to commit to real change. Every woman deserves to be seen beyond her mistakes, supported in her recovery, and given the opportunity to build a life with dignity and purpose.
Today, we mark the progress made, reflecting on our female members and their place as a cause for optimism – and their potential to accelerate change to create a better, brighter future that supports women out of the cycle of crisis and crime.
