A failure by the state in Northern Ireland to regulate mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries was a serious human rights issue that should be examined in an upcoming public inquiry, a report has found.
It is one of 70 recommendations by a panel of experts which will feed into the inquiry.
Stormont passed legislation last month to facilitate such an inquiry.
Almost 16,000 women and children passed through the institutions, most of which were run by religious institutions including the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and Presbyterian Church as well as the Salvation Army between 1922 and 1995.
Set up in 2023 by the Northern Ireland Executive, the Truth Recovery Panel consists of 10 people and includes experts in human rights, genealogy as well as victims and survivors of the system.
It published its final report today.
Report marks 'a significant milestone'
"This report marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of truth and justice for victims - survivors who spent time in these institutions," said panel co-chairs Professors Leanne McCormick and Sean O'Connell.
"During the past three years, victims - survivors have been generous with their time, revisiting difficult experiences and trauma, to bravely ensure their testimonies are recorded to inform the panel's report and to assist the public inquiry to bring justice and accountability to the institutions involved."
The panel gathered testimony from 300 people who had experience of the institutions.
Many of the women had become pregnant as a result of rape. Many spoke of "abuse, neglect and inadequate care" in mother and baby homes.
"In many cases their experiences amounted to degrading treatment," the report said.
They included allegations of sexual abuse by a member of the Good Shepherd Sisters, known as Sister Z, in the Marianville Mother and Baby Home in Belfast.
The report said these allegations merited "special attention" in the upcoming inquiry.
Women told the authors they had been placed in homes against their will, forced to remain, and forcibly returned if they left.
The report said that in some homes pregnant women and new mothers were made to work in the institutions or sent out for domestic service in private homes.
It was often involuntary and unpaid.
The Marianville Mother and Baby Home was also used as a "de-facto adoption agency".
More widely across the institutions there was little evidence that rules around cross-border transfers of children were complied with.
From one home in Newry alone 225 babies were sent to other institutions in Co Meath, Co Donegal and Dublin.
Young pregnant women from the Republic of Ireland were often sent over the border to mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.
Those seeking to reconnect with birth mothers or children often found it difficult due to a lack of record keeping.
In June, Stormont passed legislation to establish a public inquiry and a redress scheme relating to mother and baby homes.
It is expected to last around three years and cost around £14 million.
Under the financial redress scheme, any mother or child who spent time in any of the institutions will be entitled to £12,000.
There will be a reduced payment of £2,000 for family members of those who have died since the early 1950s.
It is estimated the redress scheme could see some 10,00 applications and cost in the region of £90m.