Reproductive Wellbeing in a Philippine Women’s Prison: Lived Experiences, Institutional Barriers, and Social Networks

This chapter discusses incarcerated women’s experiences of reproductive wellbeing in a Philippine women’s prison. Drawing on the accounts of 42 Filipino incarcerated women using a feminist lens, I seek to extend the ‘pains of imprisonment’ framework to unpack specifically the pains associated with women’s reproductive wellbeing. Participants’ accounts indicated that the correctional system and its policies, which were historically and institutionally designed for men, did not adequately address women's varied and distinct reproductive health needs. Furthermore, these conversations with the women illustrated their specific challenges in negotiating the prison environment and unveiled their adaptive strategies for coping with the pains of imprisonment.