often unable to coherently present their version of events. Foreigners described the discrimination they faced, on the basis of their nationality, from prison officers, inmates and even medical officers, who taunt them for the offence for which they are in prison. Foreign nationals have constrained access to legal representation due to the lack of information they possess on legal procedures and local lawyers. Many foreign nationals complained about being defrauded by local lawyers whom they were forced to hire without adequate background information. The status quo is exacerbated when they do not have means of communicating with their lawyers from inside prison, and their family members are too far away to provide efficient assistance. Most foreign nationals the Commission came across wished to be repatriated to their country, where they could complete their sentence and be closer to their families which would enable easier social reintegration upon release. However, repatriation procedures are highly bureaucratic and subject to delays and setbacks due to changes in the political climate. 18. Women The population of women in prison remains quite low, and this may be the reason they are not provided the same standard of correctional services as men in prison. Women also face certain gender specific issues during incarceration that must be addressed by policy makers. Women in prison have access to meagre rehabilitation opportunities and are not able to engage in industrial work, such as weaving and cultivation or be sent on work release schemes. Instead, they are primarily engaged in sewing or maintaining the cleanliness of the premises. If women had the opportunity to engage in a diverse range of work and receive training in professions/skills, it could also provide better employment opportunities post release. Female prisoners also complained about the lack of access to sanitary napkins, as these are not distributed by the prison unless a donation is made to the prison by an external organization. While remandee women rely on their family members to supply them with sanitary napkins through family visits, convicted women and foreign nationals obtain them by completing tasks, such as washing dishes and clothes, for other inmates who have an adequate supply in return for sanitary napkins and toiletries. Women also complained about the impeded access to healthcare as most female sections do not have Prison Hospitals, and doctors visit the female section only on certain stipulated days and times, and cannot be accessed outside of that time. Consequently, access to medical treatment at night time is severely limited and women would have to suffer symptoms until the next time the doctor visits. There is also an inadequacy of female medical personnel in the prison healthcare system, because fewer applications of female medical personnel are received, according to the Department of Prisons. This is thought to be because less females are inclined to work at a prison. xxv