…Over 200 women benefit from healthcare, hygiene support, and mental health counselling
By Bunmi Yekini
In a bold move to redefine access to justice for incarcerated women, Headfort Foundation for Justice has extended its interventions to include healthcare, launching a new initiative tagged “Wellness Behind Bars” at the Female Correctional Centre in Kirikiri, Lagos.
The outreach, which took place on Wednesday, saw over 200 inmates receive welfare support, with more than 100 benefiting from free medical consultations and treatment.
Speaking during the event, Miss Oluwakemi Adenekan, Programmes Manager at Headfort Foundation, emphasized that true justice must also address the physical and emotional wellbeing of inmates.
“We are deeply thankful to the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) for their support. This outreach is proof that justice is not only about legal representation, it is about restoring dignity,” Adenekan said.
She explained that the programme provided medical checks, drug dispensation, mental health support, and essential hygiene items such as sanitary pads and toiletries.
“In the course of our legal aid work, we discovered that many inmates lack access to even the most basic healthcare,” she added.
“They often leave prison looking malnourished, unhealthy, and broken. Their physical condition is heartbreaking.”
The event also featured a dedicated mental health awareness session led by the Arogi Trauma Care Foundation, teaching inmates coping strategies and stress management tailored to the realities of life behind bars.
“That’s why we launched the ‘Wellness Behind Bars’ project, to ensure that access to healthcare becomes a part of the justice journey,” Adenekan said.