Out of 1,500 odd jails in the country, only 31 of them are for women. According to media reports, several members of the parliament recently brought this issue to the notice of the Home Committee that is chaired by Congress Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Anand Sharma. They highlighted the challenges faced by female prisoners In India. These included concerns about the safety and hygiene of female prisoners especially menstrual hygiene as well as the fact that more than 16,000 women are imprisoned in jails that also have male inmates. In most jails that are male-dominated, there is no separate section for women. Instead, there is a small area that is available for women prisoners.
It is reported that the Home Ministry took the worries into consideration and explained that the central government has consistently encouraged states to set up women-only jails. To this, the Centre reassured the states of its support.
Officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs along with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla were present before the committee to discuss the seriousness of the issue.