Message Assalamuawalaykum! Greets from the Commission on Human Rights. In 2019, the Commission on Human Rights as Gender and Development Ombud under the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710) undertook a monitoring on the situation of women deprived of liberty. In partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Commission’s regional offices, a series of focus group discussions were held in twelve detention facilities producing the report titled “Inside Stories: Situation of Women Deprived of Liberty.” The report was an opportunity for the Commission to highlight the lived experiences of women including elderly and lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals in detention. It was an opportunity to highlight the human rights issues they are confronted with – from issues of space, to health, to food, water and sanitation, to gender-specific needs, risks of gender-based violence, traditional gender norms, and access to justice. More importantly, the report was an opportunity to highlight the need to ensure the state’s compliance with the Mandela and Bangkok Rules and the Philippines’ commitments under the Convention Against Torture and its optional protocols. During the COVID-19 pandemic, and building on the Commission’s report on the situation of women deprived of liberty, the Commission also had the occasion to partner with Kapatid, a support organization for families and friends of political prisoners. Through the partnership, the CHR Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights was able to gather narratives of women deprived of liberty, most of them, political prisoners. The narratives provided a glimpse into the lives of women deprived of liberty during lockdown – when family visits were prohibited, when case hearings were suspended, and when women had to find different ways of coping even as they worried for their families amidst the constant threat of the virus. These became the collection we now call “Kwentong Krisis ng Kababaihan sa Kulungan.” Inside Stories and Kwentong Krisis ng Kababaihan sa Kulungan are replete with narratives of women in the margins, women often rendered invisible and left behind. It is then a great pleasure for us in the Commission to partner with Gantala Press and UN Women in producing this booklet highlighting the lived experiences of women deprived of liberty. Through this partnership 3