Background of the Project The Philippines has 933 prisons nationwide with an ideal capacity of 20,653 detainees. The national government’s “War on Drugs,” also known as “Operation Tokhang,” led to a surge in arrests of many individuals beginning in 2016 (Khidhir, 2019), in addition to the brutal killing of thousands. About 67% of the inmates were detained due to drug-related charges and 13% of this number are women. The Philippine Bureau of Jail Management (BJMP) reported a 612% congestion in 2017 (Panti, 2018). The ideal capacity of jail population is 20,653; however, it has reached up to 146,302 which is 126,493 more than its capacity. The 2018 World Prison Brief by the Birkbeck University of London and the Institute for Criminal Policy Research places the country at number one for having the most inmates across the globe, with a total population of 188,278 of which 75.1% are pre-trial detainees. Neither infrastructure nor detention operations is sufficient in ensuring safety and well-being among the growing number of detainees. At the Manila City Jail alone, it is estimated that there is only one correctional officer for every 528 inmates, a far cry from the recommended 1:7 ratio of correctional officers to inmates (Almendral, 2019). The detention facilities themselves fall short in complying with the United Nations minimum standard of the treatment of prisoners. The latter ideally accords a jail inmate at least 4.7 square meters of space (OHCHR, 2014). Gendered Nature of Detention While there is no question that men outnumber women in places of detention, women face gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities during detention including physical and sexual abuse, mental and health issues, and the general insensitivity of prison systems and their failure to take into account women’s specific needs and experiences. The Role of the Commission on Human Rights Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is mandated to exercise visitorial powers over jails, prisons, and other 9