COMMITTEE:

SOCIAL,
H U M A N I TA R I A N
C O M M I TT E E

TOPIC:
COUNTRY:

RIGHTS OF FEMALE PRISONERS

NORTH KOREA, DPRK (DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC
OF KOREA)
UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF LEGAL STUDIES, PANJAB
UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH
KUNAL KAPOOR

REPRESENTED BY:
DELEGATE NAME:

AND

C U LT U RA L

ABSTRACT
The Rights of Female Prisoners are some of the most important issues in the recent society,
and of course we North Korea government understand it. The North Korea acknowledges the
worldwide uncertainty in dealing with the Rights of Female Prisoners. Keeping in mind the
extreme rise in the number of women incarcerated, the North Korea supports action leading
to the resolution of this problem and aspires to contribute in finding a peaceful solution to this
issue. Considering that the world's general actions to remedy this problem have been
unsuccessful, the North Korea would like to revise the laws governing female prisoners and
help in defining the Rights of the incarcerated women worldwide.
Over the past several years the rate of women in prisons has dramatically increased. Statistics
show that most female prisoners are incarcerated for non-violent crimes, such as drug abuse
and prostitution. Often, female prisoners have a greater need for physical and mental support
than male prisoners. Many female prisoners are mothers, victims of domestic abuse, or drug
addicts, all of which make female prisoners very susceptible to depression and other mental
illnesses. The needs of women prisoners often differ from their male counterparts. Women
need gender-specific facilities for healthcare, to help them in childbirth, to care for their
children in prison, to receive counselling to guard against the possibility of rape and sexual
assault and to maintain contact with their dependants outside the prison.
Civil rights abuses that occur in prisons include Sexual harassment or assault of female
prisoners by prison guards, employees, or officers, Inadequate medical or mental health
treatment of prisoners, Keeping prisoners in unsafe or unsanitary conditions, Denying
prisoners their right to contest the treatment they receive and the conditions in which they are
kept, Women under custody are very much vulnerable in male-centric model of prison
system.
According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, around 7,00,000 women are being
held in penal institutions on all five continents. There are 2,01,200 women in US prisons.
China comes a very distant second to the United States with 84,600 female prisoners in total.
Russia is in third position 59,000 of its prisoners are women. South korea 3,048; India
15406; Mexico 10,072. It is estimated that there are over 3,00,000 instances of prison sexual
assaults a year.
STEPS TAKEN BY NORTH KOREA:
In North Korea in some prisons (Kwan-li-so) women were held in separate units from men.
The prisoners and detainees have reasonable access to visitors. The prisoners or detainees can

submit complaints to judicial authorities. The government investigate or monitor prison and
detention conditions. The internal security apparatus includes the Ministry of Peoples
Security (MPS) manages the prison system. But cases are there in which women in prison
camps were subject to Sexual Harassment, rape by prison guards and to forced abortions.
North Korea has enacted and enforced a number of laws and regulations in connection with
the UDHR and other rights stipulated by International Human Rights Regime. North Korea
has also legislated multiple laws in connection with the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, 1966 (signatory in 1981). For example, in the area of the right to
enjoy a healthy life, they have established the Public Health Law, Law on Medical Care. In
connection with the protection of vulnerable groups, North Korea promulgated the Gender
Equality Law in 1946. It has enacted the law for the Protection of Womens Rights enacted on
22nd November, 2010, thus reflecting the requirements under the CEDAW, 1979 (Acceded in
2001).
The North Korea, view the infringement of female prisoners rights as the most fundamental
failure of society to provide females with the supports they need to lead healthy, responsible,
and productive lives.