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Current Worldwide Female Prison Population

Over 733,000 women and girls are confined in penal institutions globally, based on current analyses. This number includes both awaiting trial prisoners and individuals already found guilty and punished. Experts believe the actual total is significantly higher due to incomplete data from multiple countries.

Female inmates generally account for a limited percentage of overall inmate numbers – usually between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. However, their population is growing at a quicker pace than male inmates.

Over the past two decades, the female prison population in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – roughly triple the rise observed in the male prison population. The worldwide women inmate count rose by over 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Main Causes Behind the Increase

Women's lawbreaking are frequently linked to poverty and typically represent a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Detailed analysis has found that laws often criminalize acts of survival and that women are unfairly targeted because they are more commonly found among the lowest economic brackets of society. In numerous countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the lack of resources for fines for minor crimes or to arrange temporary freedom.

Nations with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The US has the greatest quantity of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "administrative detention". 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 Britain, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the overall inmate count. Forecasts show these numbers are predicted to increase 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 overall inmate demographic.

Countries with Substantial Rises in Women Inmate Numbers

Even accounting for normal population growth over the last quarter-century, the rise in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a remarkable increase. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen increases over five times.

Incarcerated Women Facing Execution

Present approximations 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 similarly the nations that carry out the most capital punishments in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on 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 highest numbers of females on death row.

The two primary crimes for which women are receiving execution orders are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as lessening conditions, are more likely to have higher numbers of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Moreover, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and Asian southeast, have a significant percentage of women on death row.

Fitness of Prison for Women

Various professionals and activists contend that prison is unsuitable sanction for a substantial percentage of women who violate regulations. Many are jailed for peaceful violations; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women often encounter a "revolving door" of limited imprisonment terms – inadequate duration to take part in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an diagnosable psychological condition. In Europe, self-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, as reported by the World Health Organization.

In response to growing statistics of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines considering their circumstances, 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 oblige states to develop non-custodial sanctions and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An estimated 19,000 children live in prison 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 brief period in prison.

Many countries allow for babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a certain age. Nonetheless, a early life in correctional facilities can damage a child both bodily and psychologically.