As part of our Ramadan spotlight series highlighting grassroots initiatives serving vulnerable communities, AWN is recognising the work of the Muslim Women in Prison Project.
Established in 2013, the project provides tailored, culturally sensitive and faith-based support for Muslim women navigating the criminal justice system. Its work includes research, policy engagement, resettlement support and raising awareness of the particular challenges Muslim women face within the system.
In the United Kingdom, Muslims are significantly overrepresented in the prison population. Yet the experiences of Muslim women in custody are rarely discussed. Their needs often sit at the intersection of faith, gender, migration status, family responsibility and social isolation. For many women, maintaining religious practice and connection to community during incarceration can be deeply challenging.
Alongside its wider work, the Muslim Women in Prison Project has made Ramadan an important moment of practical support and solidarity.
Each year, the organisation distributes Ramadan packs to Muslim women across the HMPPS estate. These packs contain essential items that enable women to observe the month with dignity and spiritual connection, including headscarves, dates, Zamzam water, copies of the Qur’an, prayer beads and prayer mats.
For the organisation, the initiative is about more than providing supplies. It is a gesture of compassion and recognition, ensuring that Muslim women in custody know they have not been forgotten.
This year, in partnership with Islamic Relief UK, the project has delivered Ramadan packs to six establishments across the female estate. The team has since received additional requests from four further prisons and one secure children’s unit for both Ramadan and Eid packs.
The demand reflects the importance of ensuring that women in custody are able to observe Ramadan with access to basic religious provisions and a sense of connection to the wider community.
At AWN, we believe initiatives like this demonstrate the often unseen civic work carried out by grassroots organisations. They respond directly to gaps in support and ensure that individuals who are frequently absent from public conversation are not overlooked.
Ramadan is a time when generosity and compassion are meant to extend to all parts of our community, including those who are most easily forgotten.