Invisible victimization experienced by women within the context of gender roles whose spouses are incarcerated

Prison is a process that has a cumulative impact not only on the incarcerated individual but also on their family. When the incarcerated person is a man who traditionally holds more authority in the public sphere compared to a woman, the entire family is affected in multiple ways. This study aims to explore the problems faced by women whose husbands are in prison, within the context of gender roles. The study's participants consist of 12 women whose husbands are in prison. Using snowball sampling, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants, giving them the opportunity to voice their experiences and share their stories. The findings obtained from the participants' experiences are included under the main headings: demographic information, findings related to relationships with spouses, findings about the experiences related to the spouse's incarceration (reactions to the spouse's imprisonment and the alleged crime, and resocialization with the prison), life experiences after the spouse's incarceration, coping methods for the difficulties faced, findings regarding the participants' expectations and concerns after release, and the experiences of participants whose spouses have been released. It is observed that women, who are relegated to a secondary position due to patriarchy and gender inequality, experience an intensified disadvantage when their husbands are incarcerated. The results of the study reveal that the hardships experienced are closely linked to patriarchy, gender roles, and gender inequality.