You’re warmly invited to a talk by Prof. Marcela Aedo (University of Valparaiso, Chile) who is visiting Warwick as visiting scholar for the next 3 weeks. Her research is in the areas of gender, youth justice, the sociology of law and human rights and feminist criminology.

Title: Adolescent Girls Deprived of Liberty in Chile, Gender, and Human Rights: Some Considerations for a Sectoral Policy

Abstract: The idea that the law defines and reinforces gender identities, and sustains sexual discrimination is especially interesting when applied to the area of deprivation of liberty in the juvenile penal system. A paradigmatic case in terms of rights violations is the situation experienced by girls and adolescents deprived of liberty. Rights such as mental health, sexual and reproductive rights, and the right to live a life free from violence (mainly physical and sexual abuse), are especially affected during deprivation of liberty according to international studies on the subject. By virtue of the above, the Fondecyt initiation and research project that we are currently developing intends to deal with the penitentiary treatment that adolescent girls deprived of liberty in a closed regime receive under the current system of adolescent criminal responsibility as regulated by Law No. 20.084 (hereinafter LRPA). To this end, a 3-year work plan has been drawn up, the main specific objectives of which are, on the one hand, to review the information gathered by the Interinstitutional Commissions for the Supervision of Incarceration Centers (hereinafter CISC), the existing legislation, policies and programs in this area; and secondly, to identify whether the regulations, policies and specialized programs on Adolescent Criminal Responsibility incorporate the gender perspective, taking into special consideration the standards recognized in the corpus juris of the International Law on the Rights of Boys, Girls and Adolescents (hereinafter referred to as NNA), as well as international studies and practices. Using this frame of reference, the situation of adolescent girls who are deprived of liberty in a closed regime (whether convicted or charged) will be analyzed to critically examine the problems identified in the penitentiary system with respect to them, in order to propose improvements in current penitentiary policy. Finally, the specific objective of the Seminar is to share some of the results of the first part of the fieldwork that we have carried out in the last 3 months.