Roundtable. Gender Equality Behind Bars: A Feminist Approach to Penality Policies Worldwide

Abstract

The goal of this roundtable is to discuss the recently published collection Gender Equality Behind Bars: A Feminist Approach to Penality Policies Worldwide (Palgrave, 2026), edited by Ana Ballesteros Pena, Maria Bustelo and Amy G. Mazur. The book represents the first analysis of prison and immigration detention policies, broadly identified as penality policies, within the context of gender policy studies. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, it provides a roadmap for better understanding penality policy from feminist and gendered perspectives. An introductory chapter examines the paradoxical relationship between gender equality and life behind bars for women. This is followed by ten in-depth case-studies on gender and penal policies in a unique line-up of countries in the Global North (Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Canada, the UK and Spain) and the Global South (Zimbabwe, Uruguay, and Peru). The comparative conclusion identifies cross-national and cross-sectoral trends and proposes a research agenda for a gendered approach to penality policies. Issues including discrimination against women prisoners and women migrant detainees, gender-bias in prison environments and Potential for gender transformation "behind bars" are covered throughout the book. Combining theoretical and empirical evidence, gender equality behind bars will appeal to scholars and students of public policy, gender studies, anthropology and criminology, as well as those interested in penal policies, criminal justice and punishment.

Title	Details
Critic on the edited collection by the participant 1	View Paper Details
Critic on the edited collection by the participant 3	View Paper Details
Critic on the edited collection by the participant 2	View Paper Details
Critic on the edited collection by the participant 4	View Paper Details
Critic on the edited collection by the participant 5	View Paper Details