Behind Bars: The Unheard Voices of Women Prisoners in Apradhini

Abstract

The life of a prisoner is a complex and multidimensional experience marked by confinement, isolation, and profound psychological and social consequences. Shivani’s Apradhini: Women without Men, a collection of seventeen stories depicting women living in prison in the absence of male presence, offers a powerful lens through which to examine the lived realities of women prisoners. This paper explores the personal, familial, and social circumstances that lead to women’s incarceration, foregrounding the pain, suffering, and emotional turmoil they endure both within and beyond prison walls. By engaging closely with these narratives, the study provides a deeper understanding of the structural and emotional complexities shaping their lives. The primary objective of this paper is to give voice to the marginalized and often unheard experiences of women prisoners as represented in Apradhini. The study is significant in drawing attention to the gendered nature of punishment and incarceration, while also highlighting the need for psychological, social, and institutional support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of women into society. Analyzing Apradhini through the theoretical frameworks of feminist criticism, existential alienation, and gender studies, the paper demonstrates that women’s suffering is not merely individual but deeply embedded within patriarchal structures that define, confine, and marginalize them.