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Current Global Women Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are confined in penal institutions worldwide, according to current research studies. This number encompasses both remand prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the true count is significantly higher due to incomplete data from numerous countries.

Females typically constitute a limited percentage of overall inmate numbers – typically between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nonetheless, their population is growing at a faster rate than incarcerated men.

Over the past two decades, the female prison population in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – nearly thrice the growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The international incarcerated women statistics rose by over 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Main Causes Behind the Growth

Offenses committed by women are often connected to financial deprivation and usually serve as a method of sustenance to care for their dependents.

Comprehensive research has found 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 numerous countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the lack of resources for fines for minor crimes or to obtain release.

States with the Greatest Female Prison Populations

The United States has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "procedural custody. 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, amounting to approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

States with Substantial Rises in Female Prison Populations

Despite considering normal population growth over the past 25 years, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a significant growth. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced over six times growth, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen more than fivefold rises.

Women on Death Row

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

The states that carry out executions on the most women are similarly the nations that perform the highest number of executions in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by recent documentation, an uncertain quantity 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.

Unreliable information is available for nations with highest execution rates or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nonetheless, analysis is available for 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 required execution sentences for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are more likely to have greater amounts of women on death row and more executions.

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

Suitability of Incarceration for Females

Many experts and activists argue that prison is inappropriate penalty for a significant portion of women who break the law. Many are jailed for non-aggressive offenses; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women often encounter a "repetitive cycle of brief incarceration periods – inadequate duration to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an identifiable mental illness. In Europe, self-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the overall public, as reported by the WHO.

In response to increasing figures of jailed women and a absence of guidelines addressing their requirements, 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 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, most often their mother, while significantly more children are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

In addition to the evident parting and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a brief period in prison.

Various states permit babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nonetheless, a youth experienced in incarceration can negatively affect a minor both physically and emotionally.