Preventing Torture An Operational Guide for National Human Rights Institutions - Updated Edition doctor, access to a lawyer and the notification of rights. A thematic report was issued in 2020 with recommendations addressed to the relevant authorities.77 3.3. Other safeguards to protect women in detention A number of additional measures can contribute to reducing the risk of torture and ill-treatment for women and respond to their specific needs, in line with the Nelson Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules, including: • separating male and female detainees • ensuring women prisoners are attended and supervised only by women staff • strictly regulating security and safety measures: for example, body searches should be limited to a minimum and conducted by staff of the same sex; no shackling and handcuffing of pregnant women, women in labour or after childbirth • providing for gender-specific health care and hygiene needs, including pre- and post-natal care, equivalent to the care available in the community. Furthermore, an important systemic safeguard is to divert women out of detention by ensuring gender-specific non-custodial alternatives wherever possible.78 Recognising that many women in the criminal justice system do not pose a threat to society, this measure can protect women from the risks they face in detention and avoid the disproportionately negative impact of imprisonment on their rehabilitation and children’s lives79. KEY POINTS: CHAPTER 3 • NHRIs can promote ratification of relevant international human rights treaties, such as the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol. • NHRIs can promote legal reform, in particular making torture a crime under domestic law. • NHRIs can promote reform of detention procedures. • NHRIs can promote laws and safeguards to protect women and other groups in situations of vulnerability from torture. 52 77 See: https://www.gub.uy/institucion-nacional-derechos-humanos-uruguay/comunicacion/publicaciones/garantiasprimeros-momentos-detencion-unidades-policiales-uruguayas 78 As recommended by Rule 58 of the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (Bangkok Rules). 79 Penal Reform International, Women in detention: Putting the UN Bangkok Rules on women prisoners into practice (2017).