Commission on the Status of Women

 
 

Topic: Women in the Criminal Justice System

The Criminal justice system is commonly defined as the network of private and government agencies intended to manage accused and convicted criminals. It is comprised of multiple parts some of which are academia, law enforcement, the judiciary, and corrections. The number of female prisoners is growing more rapidly compared to the number of male prisoners. News outlets and researchers have often proven that women tend to endure harsher conditions with less access to needed healthcare and support services. They are more likely to have endured physical or sexual abuse in prisons. Up to 80% of women in prisons have mental illnesses and are more likely to harm themselves, highlighting the immediate need for supportive services. Aside from the problems within these correctional environments the cases of women often face longer delays, taking more time to be investigated, and often being canceled.  

As the number of incarcerated women increases the many women facing the problems and unfair abuse due to the current criminal justice system will increase as well. Identifying the trends in the data and what leads to them is important to come up with a solution to this pressing issue. The unfair abuse of women in prison needs to stop, better healthcare and support services need to be provided for them as well. Coming up with solutions and ways to improve the status of women and their treatment in the criminal justice system requires a collaborative effort not solely from government agencies and criminal justice pillars but from all nations.

 

Dear Delegates,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Commission on the Status of Women for the 2025 session of Harvard Model United Nations! I am honored to serve as your Director, and I look forward to working with all of you.

My name is Maria Shytaj. I am a rising sophomore living at Pforzheimer House, and I am planning to concentrate in Government and Economics. Although in high school I did not have the opportunity to join Model UN, I have always been aware and interested in it. When offered the opportunity to join HNMUN my first year of college I was extremely enthusiastic to take it. I served as the Assistant Director of the HNMUN Commission on the Status of Women. This rewarding experience from which I learned a great amount, encouraged me to extend my involvement further this year as the Director of the HMUN Commission on the Status of Women. This committee is an extremely important one, discussing pressing subjects receiving great attention from many nations. I hope to use all of the skills I have developed from my previous experience and the knowledge I have obtained due to my interest in this particular committee to deliver a rewarding and enriching experience that honors your hard work.

Aside from Model UN, I enjoy other activities on campus, mostly law, economics, and business related. I am a part of the Business board of The Harvard Crimson and a writer for the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review for which I get to write articles on legal issues I am interested in, among which is the status of women in today's society. This summer I am interning at the Harvard Crimson generating revenue by selling advertisements or running conferences for high schoolers to support the operating budget of the newspaper.

As equality increases in many fields of our society as many of you are aware, the challenges that women face remain significant. Currently, women make up to 9% of the global prison population with those numbers seeing greater growth compared to the statistics of the increase in the male prisoner population. Many researchers show that incarcerated women face harsher conditions compared to men. Addressing these issues and not just creating but also implementing effective policies to promote gender equality within the criminal justice system is crucial for nations that strive to improve the status of women. 

I will be there for you every step of the way, from the early stages of your hard work to the closing remarks of our session. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns, and I look forward to meeting and working with all of you!

Sincerely,

Maria Shytaj

Director, Commission on the Status of Women

csw@harvardmun.org

Harvard Model United Nations 2025