Sponsored by Amnesty International
I would like to start this post with my main take-away:
The criminalization of an action is the easy way out.
In this panel discussion, I learned about how women are criminalized for their womanhood; for instance, a pregnant woman who does drugs will be criminalized. Instead of being given the rehabilitative resources to stop drug use or even the contraception to avoid pregnancy, they are criminalized for their bodies. This is just one example that came up during this deep panel discussion.
The discussion blossomed into thinking about how women want to see change, and government often appeases the desire for "change" by implementing policy. This type of route makes more and more things criminal. (There was also discussion about how not all implemented laws are followed). However, the talk opened my eyes to how policies are most of the time not effective. They do not help or change the issue, they just give the illusion of change.
Additionally, there was talk about how criminalization can marginalize an entire community; it can break community. And, criminal justice is limiting in nature; laws may remove some crime, but it doesn't change the experiences of women. In order for a community to realize true change for women, there needs to be rehabilitative efforts to change society as a whole--laws alone cannot refocus society to support women.
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