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Present Global Female Prison Inmates

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are confined in prison systems globally, according to current research studies. This statistic encompasses both awaiting trial prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Researchers estimate the actual total is significantly higher due to unavailable statistics from numerous nations.

Women consistently represent a minor proportion of national prison populations – usually between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the world's incarcerated individuals. However, their numbers are increasing at a quicker pace than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the number of women and girls in prison has grown by nearly 60% – roughly triple the increase 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.

Key Factors Behind the Rise

Female criminal activities are commonly linked to poverty and usually serve as a way to support themselves to care for their dependents.

Comprehensive research has found that legislation frequently penalizes acts of survival and that women are unfairly targeted because they are more commonly found among the most impoverished segments of society. In many countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the inability to pay fines for petty offenses or to arrange temporary freedom.

Nations with the Largest Female Prison Populations

The America has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "administrative detention". 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 total prison population. Projections indicate these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are presently incarcerated, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, constituting approximately 8% of its total prison population.

States with Significant Increases in Female Prison Populations

Even accounting for normal population growth over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a remarkable increase. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced over six times growth, while these countries have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Incarcerated Women Facing Execution

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

The nations that put to death the most women are also the countries that carry out the most capital punishments in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to latest reports, 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.

Unreliable information is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women 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 do not recognize gender-based violence as lessening conditions, are inclined to display higher numbers of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

Furthermore, countries that strictly prohibit drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and southeast Asia, have a high proportion of women on death row.

Suitability of Prison for Women

Numerous specialists and campaigners contend that prison is inappropriate penalty for a substantial percentage of women who violate regulations. The majority are imprisoned for non-aggressive offenses; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women often encounter a "revolving door" of brief incarceration periods – insufficiently long to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

As many as 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 World Health Organization.

In reaction to increasing figures of jailed women and a deficiency of regulations reflecting their needs, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted 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 calculated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, usually their mother, while many times that number are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

Apart from the obvious separation 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 permit babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a specific age. Nevertheless, a youth experienced in incarceration can damage a child both physically and emotionally.