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Current Worldwide Women Prison Population

Over 733,000 women and girls are confined in penal institutions internationally, as reported by recent research studies. This statistic includes both awaiting trial prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Analysts suggest the real number is substantially larger due to incomplete data from numerous nations.

Female inmates generally account for a small minority of national prison populations – usually between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nevertheless, their figures are rising at a faster rate than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the number of women and girls in prison has grown by nearly 60% – almost three times the growth observed in the male prison population. The worldwide women inmate count rose by over 100,000 individuals during the ten-year interval ending in 2020.

Key Factors Behind the Rise

Offenses committed by women are frequently associated with economic hardship and typically represent a means of survival to support their children and relatives.

Detailed analysis has determined that laws often criminalize acts of survival and that women are disproportionately affected because they are over-represented among the poorest sectors of society. In many countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the failure to afford fines for petty offenses or to secure bail.

States with the Greatest Female Prison Populations

The United States 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 remand imprisonment and "procedural custody. Additional major sources 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 total prison population. Forecasts show these numbers are expected to rise to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently detained, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, representing approximately 8% of its total prison population.

Countries with Significant Increases in Female Prison Populations

Despite considering standard demographic increases over the last quarter-century, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a remarkable increase. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen increases over five times.

Women on Death Row

Current calculations 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 execute the most people in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to recent documentation, an undetermined count of women were put to death in China, while two were executed in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Incomplete statistics is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The principal violations for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with required execution sentences for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are inclined to display increased quantities of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

Furthermore, countries that strictly prohibit drug trafficking, such as those in the Gulf region and Oriental southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Appropriateness of Prison for Women

Various professionals and activists maintain that prison is not a suitable punishment for a substantial percentage of women who violate regulations. Many are jailed for non-aggressive offenses; in England and Wales, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women commonly face a "cyclical pattern of brief incarceration periods – 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, suicide rates for women in prison are nine times higher than for the overall public, according to the global health authority.

In reaction to growing statistics of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines considering their circumstances, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules mandate countries to develop non-custodial sanctions and to provide women-specific consideration in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An approximated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, most often their mother, while a much larger quantity are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

Besides the evident parting and related distress that a prison sentence can cause, it is quite common for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a short time in prison.

Many countries allow for babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a specific age. Nevertheless, a early life in correctional facilities can negatively affect a minor both in health and mental state.