Realising rights: increasing ethnic minority women's access to justice

1 in 3 women in prison is an ethnic minority woman

There is only 1 ethnic minority woman in the senior judiciary

1 in 4 ethnic minority women experience domestic violence in their lifetime

This report examines the experiences of ethnic minority women throughout the criminal justice system – as offenders, victims and workers in the justice sector. It explores the intersectional discrimination on the grounds of race and sex that these women frequently face and the realities of a justice system which too often overlooks the needs of ethnic minority women in policy development and practice.

Ethnic minority women face the same barriers that a man-made criminal justice system brings for all women. However, ethnic minority women also endure additional barriers as a result of their race:

• Ethnic minority women, and particularly foreign national women, are over-represented within the female offender population and are more likely to feel isolated in custody, less likely to seek help and face additional language and cultural barriers to getting the help and support they need in police custody, in the courtroom, in prison and upon release.

• Ethnic minority women are under-represented as workers within the criminal justice system, particularly at senior levels and women’s experiences of double discrimination in the workplace from racial and sexual harassment remains largely invisible.

• The way that ethnic minority women perceive and experience violence and their pathways to engaging with the justice system and seeking help may be, in some respects, unique to their communities. Factors such as language, community and family structures, racism and culture will all impact on the experience and needs of women surviving violence.

The report is available for download on this page.