Women in immigration detention are trapped in a system designed for men. Many have not hugged a family member in years

This opinion piece by Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay was published in The Guardian.

Picture this. It has been months since you last saw or hugged a loved one, including your children. You are a survivor of domestic violence but are now living next door to men who are sex offenders. You speak little English. And your life in detention has no end date.

This is a common experience for women in Australia’s immigration detention system. Their visas have either lapsed or been revoked, or they never had one in the first place after arriving here in a way deemed to be illegal.

In Australia, women make up a small number, roughly 6%, of people in immigration detention. These women are wedged into a system which operates predominantly with men in mind, with their separate and specific needs widely overlooked.

On Wednesday, the Australian Human Rights Commission published the findings of an investigation into the experiences of women living within this system. As part of our inspections, I spoke with women in all immigration detention facilities where they are housed. What they told me was extremely alarming.

They spoke of limited privacy and widespread exposure to harassment and violence. Of leering men at the gym. Of not having access to the canteen. Of inadequate medical and mental health support. Of living in a constant state of stress and anxiety. Of wanting to turn their lives around, but being banned from work, study or vocational training.

And what they told us was confirmed by what we saw at the centres ourselves. There were too many examples of the housing, the facilities, the programs, and services such as healthcare or education being either insufficient, inappropriate or unsafe, with staff not adequately trained to address women’s needs. We met with staff who want to make changes and are trying their best, but who find themselves up against a system that is too often resistant to change

In just one example, at Sydney’s Villawood immigration detention centre – which has the highest number of women of any facility in Australia – women are housed next to a compound that includes men who are sex offenders. With many of these women being survivors of abuse, a shared fence line exposes them to the risk of further harm.

The separation of families was another key issue raised with us. Most women are detained far from their families – often interstate – which makes it difficult for their children and loved ones to visit. We were told by some women that they have not been able to hug a family member in years. This is unacceptable, particularly when Australians are told that immigration detention is not meant to be punitive.

Previous reports I have led show there are also significant human rights concerns facing men in immigration detention. But, as it stands, detained women are at an increased vulnerability.

In every system, people’s backgrounds, gender and circumstances will impact their needs and rights. In immigration detention centres, the current risk to women’s health and safety is of urgent concern.

Our report makes 31 recommendations to better protect the human rights of women in immigration detention, as well as improving the quality of the work environment and support for staff. These include better conditions across centres, such as safer housing, gender-specific staff training and female recruitment, enhanced access to healthcare, education, and meaningful activities.

The Department of Home Affairs has cautiously responded to our report, accepting or partially agreeing with 11 of the recommendations. We urge it to take immediate action and implement our recommendations in full.

Our report is another reminder that things must change. Improving the treatment of women in immigration detention helps raise the bar to how we are all treated. No woman should ever be an afterthought.

Lorraine Finlay is Australia’s human rights commissioner