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Current Worldwide Female Prison Inmates

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are currently held in penal institutions globally, as reported by recent investigations. This number includes both pre-trial detainees and individuals already convicted and sentenced. Analysts suggest the true count is substantially larger due to missing information from multiple countries.

Females typically constitute a small minority of national prison populations – typically between 2-9% on average. As of now, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. However, their figures are rising at a quicker pace than male inmates.

Since the year 2000, the number of women and girls in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – nearly thrice the increase observed in the male inmate numbers. The international incarcerated women statistics increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Offenses committed by women are commonly connected to financial deprivation and typically represent a means of survival to provide for their families.

Extensive studies has established that legislation frequently penalizes essential livelihood measures and that women are unequally impacted because they are disproportionately represented among the lowest economic brackets of society. In many countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the lack of resources for fines for petty offenses or to obtain release.

Nations with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The America has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in awaiting trial custody and "procedural custody. Other significant contributors include Brazil (50,441), Russia (39,153), Thailand (33,057), India (23,772), the Philippines (17,121), Turkey (16,581), Vietnam (15,152), Mexico (13,841) and Indonesia (13,044).

In England and Wales, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the complete incarceration statistics. Forecasts show these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently imprisoned, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, representing approximately 8% of its complete incarceration numbers.

States with Significant Increases in Female Prison Populations

Although including standard demographic increases over the last quarter-century, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people continues to demonstrate a substantial rise. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen increases over five times.

Incarcerated Women Facing Execution

Recent estimates indicate there are between 500 and 1,000 women on death row in at least 42 countries worldwide.

The countries that execute the most women are also the countries that execute the most people in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by latest reports, an uncertain quantity of women were given capital punishment in China, while two received death sentences in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Incomplete statistics is available for nations with highest execution rates or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The principal violations for which women are given capital punishment are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are prone to exhibit greater amounts of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Moreover, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Arabian Peninsula and Asian southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Fitness of Prison for Women

Many experts and campaigners argue that prison is not a suitable punishment for a significant portion of women who violate regulations. Most are incarcerated for non-violent crimes; in England and Wales, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women often encounter a "revolving door" of short prison sentences – insufficiently long to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an recognizable psychiatric disorder. In Europe, self-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the overall public, based on the World Health Organization.

In answer to increasing figures of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines addressing their requirements, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules require nations to establish non-imprisonment penalties and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An calculated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, typically their mother, while many times that number are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

In addition to the evident parting and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Many countries allow for babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a certain age. Nevertheless, a childhood spent in prison can negatively affect a minor both physically and emotionally.