Towards an Equitable Global Order: India’s Role in Shaping International Norms on Criminal Justice and the Rights of Women Prisoners

Author(s): Dr. Arushi Hinwali Shukla and Dr. Bhagyashree Joshi

Abstract:

Amid a multipolar and fragmented global order, India asserts normative leadership as a voice of the Global South, promoting equitable reforms in international institutions and transnational challenges. This paper analyzes India's contributions to global criminal justice standards, centering on the rights and treatment of women prisoners—a group whose gender-specific vulnerabilities demand inclusive normative frameworks. Grounded in the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (Bangkok Rules, 2010) and the Nelson Mandela Rules (2015), the discussion highlights India's domestic integration of these standards via the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023. This Act dedicates provisions to separate accommodation for women, care for pregnant prisoners and those with children, and mechanisms addressing sexual harassment-advancing gender-responsive prison administration, rehabilitation, and alternatives to incarceration. Through adaptive diplomacy and strategic autonomy, India projects these reforms internationally via UNODC partnerships (e.g., 2025 consultations emphasizing dignity, health, and rights) and South-South cooperation, sharing capacity-building insights with partners in Asia, Africa, and beyond. Such efforts critique and balance Western-dominated norms, fostering more representative global governance. Persistent challenges-such as prison overcrowding (often exceeding 150% capacity) and uneven implementation-underscore opportunities for stronger multilateral advocacy. By bridging national reforms with global standards, India enhances stability in human rights-related global commons, reinforcing its role as a normative actor and development partner in an equitable world order.

keywords:
Equitable global order, International criminal justice norms, Women prisoners' rights, Bangkok Rules, Nelson Mandela Rule

Pages: 33-38     |    21 View     |    1 Download