2 Gender and Security Toolkit Ê a high level of mental healthcare needs, often as a result of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)* Ê high levels of drug or alcohol dependency Ê the extreme distress imprisonment causes, which may lead to mental health problems or exacerbate existing mental disabilities Ê sexual abuse and violence in prison Ê a high likelihood of having caring responsibilities for children and others Ê having gender-specific healthcare needs that cannot be met adequately Ê stigmatization, isolation and abandonment by their families, including after release. Working with men and boys Men are the majority group in almost all situations of deprivation of liberty throughout the world. While institutions built to house them have assumed that the population would be men, the gendered pathways that lead men and boys to be deprived of their liberty have almost never been considered and the gendered demands on men are overlooked (see section 2.2 for greater detail on “gendered pathways”). For example, prison regimes tend to be adversarial in nature, aligning staff against prisoners, which can perpetuate issues with authority and promote a narrow version of aggressive masculinity. Equally, there tends to be little purposeful design to maintain and facilitate positive paternal relationships with children, although of course exceptions do exist. Reasons for thinking about the gender demands and needs of men and boys include: Ê working with men and boys to reduce and eliminate SGBV throughout society, which is committed vastly more by men and boys, although not exclusively Ê acknowledgement that men and boys also face physical and sexual violence, both before and after entering places of deprivation of liberty Ê focusing on men as fathers and involving them positively in their children’s lives Ê exploring and facilitating the expression of and identification with a diverse set of masculinities that provide alternatives to the stereotypical, prevalent, narrow conceptions of masculinity Ê understanding the particular gendered pressures and responsibilities that influence the offending and effective rehabilitation of men and boys. Working with transgender people Very little research has been conducted with transgender, gender-fluid and gender nonconforming communities in places of deprivation of liberty. In some countries a third gender is officially recognized in law, while in others the concept is a complete taboo. There is increasing recognition that state justice systems need to improve the policies and processes related to these communities to ensure their safety, dignity and equality of opportunity. Reasons for applying a gender perspective to working specifically with transgender individuals include the following. Ê Gender-specific needs that are often not adequately met when transgender individuals are placed in institutions of their birth sex and not their self-identified gender. Ê The challenges transgender people face in many countries in accessing justice on an equal basis with others, and especially with men. Ê The need to understand the differing needs of transgender men and transgender women, as well as those who are gender-fluid and gender non-conforming, within the context of the justice system. * For the purpose of this Toolkit, the phrase “sexual and gender-based violence” is used to refer to all harmful acts inflicted upon someone because of normative assumptions about their gender. SGBV is an umbrella term for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between females and males. The nature and extent of specific types of SGBV vary across cultures, countries and regions. Examples include sexual violence, including sexual exploitation/abuse and forced prostitution; domestic violence; trafficking; forced/ early marriage; harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation; honour killings; widow inheritance; and homophobic and transphobic violence. Sources: UN Women (2019) “Gender equality glossary”, trainingcentre.unwomen. org/mod/glossary/view. php?id=36 (accessed 17 October 2019); OHCHR (2011) “Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity”, report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Doc. A/HRC/19/41, 17 November, para. 20.