The FGD results show that majority of women deprived of liberty come from poor families. Most had no access to education and during detention, face further deprivation of access to specific gender needs regarding sustenance, sanitation, medical needs, and legal assistance. Likewise, they lose security and the capacity to secure the well-being of children and other family members they leave behind. Women deprived of liberty have little choice but to accept their conditions in detention facilities. Many cling to faith as a cushion to their despair in prison. Despite the lack of access to basic needs and rights-based privileges, some women survive with the help of friends they make in jail. Due to shared experiences, this is particularly true for groups of elderly women as well as for groups of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender detainees who have formed close-knit ties with their peers. Nevertheless, the FGDs reveal that the current situation and conditions of women in detention leave so much space for improvement, and in some instances are already inhumane. This is particularly true in relation to issues of congestion and of availability of basic necessities like water, health and sanitation. Issues of access to justice, security, and the burden of women’s traditional gender roles also need to be strategically addressed. With these the following recommendations are aimed at addressing WDL’s specific gender needs and strategic interests guided by their accounts and in line with the principles set out by the Bangkok and Mandela Rules. First, the overcrowding and congestion of detention facilities cannot be addressed without recognizing the impact of the government’s “War on Drugs” as well as the concomitant delays in the delivery of justice. The Commission reiterates the need to ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law in all drug-related operations. Solutions to drug addiction should focus on mental health services and education. Police operations should ensure observance of rules of engagement, respect for human rights and due process. Speedy disposition of cases should be given priority especially for those who are elderly, with consistent review of cases for eligibility of detainees for GCTA. Detention facilities must receive support from national and local government, in partnership with private institutions if necessary, to provide consistently the basic needs of detainees especially as regards food, 34