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Present Worldwide Women Prison Inmates

Over 733,000 women and girls are currently held in prison systems worldwide, based on current investigations. This number includes both remand prisoners and individuals already convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the real number is substantially larger due to incomplete data from several states.

Females typically constitute a limited percentage of overall inmate numbers – usually between 2-9% on average. As of now, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a quicker pace than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the incarcerated females in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – almost three times the growth observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The global female prison population grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year interval ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

Female criminal activities are often linked to poverty and typically represent a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has found that regulations typically outlaw essential livelihood measures and that women are unfairly targeted because they are disproportionately represented among the poorest sectors of society. In various countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the inability to pay fines for small infractions or to obtain release.

Countries with the Greatest Female Prison Populations

The America has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "bureaucratic confinement. Further substantial 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 expected to rise 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

Even accounting for standard demographic increases over the past 25 years, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a remarkable increase. These two nations have experienced over six times growth, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen growth exceeding 500%.

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 likewise the states that carry out the most capital punishments in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by latest reports, an undetermined count of women were executed in China, while two faced execution in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Unreliable information is available for nations with highest execution rates or for additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nonetheless, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The principal violations for which women are receiving execution orders are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as lessening conditions, are prone to exhibit higher numbers 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 high proportion of women on death row.

Suitability of Imprisonment for Women

Various professionals and activists argue that prison is not a suitable punishment for a significant portion of women who commit crimes. The majority are imprisoned for non-violent crimes; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women commonly face a "cyclical pattern of short prison sentences – too brief to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 80% of women in prison worldwide have an identifiable mental illness. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the overall public, based on the global health authority.

In reaction to rising numbers of imprisoned females and a lack of standards considering their circumstances, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to establish non-imprisonment penalties and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An estimated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, typically their mother, while a much larger quantity are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a incarcerated mother.

Apart from the obvious separation and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to forfeit parental rights of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Various states permit babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a certain age. Nonetheless, a childhood spent in prison can negatively affect a minor both in health and mental state.