United States must protect female prisoners from sex-based violence, privacy violations and retaliation, says Special Rapporteur

GENEVA – The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem today expressed grave concern over the treatment and safety of female prisoners at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF), after female inmates alleged sexual harassment, privacy violations, threats and violence.

“Women inmates who raised concerns about their safety report having faced retaliation,” Alsalem said.

The Special Rapporteur received complaints concerning five women currently or formerly incarcerated at CCWF, alleging that they were required to share intimate spaces, including sleeping quarters, showers and toilets, with biological male prisoners, despite several women having histories of severe sexual and domestic violence and trauma-related conditions. The issue was raised with the United States Government in June 2026.

“Female prisoners have sex-specific needs and protections requirements which States are legally bound to uphold, including the duty to protect them from sex-based violence,” Alsalem said. “Forcing women to share intimate spaces with males in this context is unacceptable, irrespective of how those males identify.”

“The concern is particularly acute when we are speaking about women who have already endured severe violence and who may be especially vulnerable to retraumatisation.”

The Special Rapporteur also raised alarm over reports that women who reported sexual harassment, threats, privacy violations or safety concerns were themselves subjected to punitive measures, including solitary confinement, disciplinary proceedings, transfers and consequences affecting parole eligibility.

“Women must never be punished for reporting violence or seeking protection from it,” the expert said. “If substantiated, such retaliation would effectively punish women for violence they did not commit but suffered themselves. It would also create a chilling effect and discourage other women from reporting violations or seeking remedies.”

The concerns extend to California’s S.B. 132, which permits transgender prisoners to be housed in men’s or women’s correctional facilities according to their gender identity, with self-declaration sufficient for placement. The Special Rapporteur recalled that the Bangkok Rules and Mandela Rules recognise the need for sex-based protections and appropriate privacy for female prisoners.

Alsalem’s 2025 thematic report on sex-based violence, underscored that female-only spaces are essential where necessary to ensure women’s safety, dignity and protection, including prisons.

She expressed concern that the right of female prisoners to female-only spaces was violated in a number of countries around the World.

“US authorities at State and Federal level cannot claim to protect women from violence while failing to take foreseeable risks to their safety seriously,” Alsalem said. “The reported human rights violations raised with me are serious and warrant urgent attention, investigation and effective protective measures.”

In a related development, on 6 August 2026, the Special Rapporteur submitted an amicus curiae brief to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Chandler v. Macomber, addressing the incompatibility of California’s S.B. 132 with international human rights law and supporting the rights of female prisoners.