xiii Deprivation of Liberty The articles addressing conditions of confinement highlight the ways in which women, girls, and LGBTI persons are particularly at risk of torture and ill-treatment when deprived of liberty, both within the criminal justice systems and within other, non-penal settings. Oppressive criminal justice systems worldwide are perhaps one of the leading global examples of structural inequity, which disproportionately and unequivocally affect women, girls, and LGBTI persons. The articles also highlight the ways in which torture in detention intersects with and impacts reproductive justice, migrant rights, and the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. Consistent with my report to the HRC, the articles expound on this particularly urgent injustice and call these acts what they are: instances of torture and ill-treatment. Healthcare and Reproductive Rights Central to women’s full autonomy, agency, and realization of human rights is sexual and repro­ ductive health and rights. The articles in this compilation expand upon the findings of my report, most notably that the lack of legal and policy frameworks that effectively enable women to assert their rights to access reproductive health services enhances their vulnerability to torture and ill-treatment. Furthermore, the broad gamut of reproductive issues including the access to abortion and related care, forced and coerced sterilization, forced contraception, and other abusive prac­ tices in healthcare and educational settings are all gendered crimes which for too long have gone unnoticed as the torture that it is. The fact that health-care providers tend to exercise considerable authority over clients, placing women in a position of powerlessness, further exacerbates women and LBGTI’s unique vulnerabilities, susceptibility to torture, and the global system of power ineq­ uity. The articles in this volume present examples from Kenya to Iraq to the United States, under­ scoring the universality of these abuses against women and LGBTI persons specifically. Aims of the Present Volume It is with the greatest of hope that readers view this compilation as a vehicle via which the global conversation on gender and torture shall continue so that women, girls, and LGBTI persons attain access to justice and reparations and the full realization of their human rights. The recognition of the unique forms of torture endured by women, girls and LGBTI persons is both vital and urgent because it links the full realization of human rights to redress and reparations. The articles in this publication explore what this means, and what it potentially can mean. The authors stress the report’s conclusion that “reparations must be premised on a full understanding of the gendered nature and consequences of the harm suffered and take existing gender inequalities into account to ensure that they are not themselves discriminatory” (A/HRC/14/22, para. 32). My goal is that this volume will serve as a resource for practitioners, advocates, policy makers, and other stakeholders invested in incorporating gendered perspectives and experiences into the torture and ill-treatment framework. It is imperative that policies, practices, and legislative frame­ works function effectively in order to prevent the violence, discrimination, and other serious harms