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Present Global Women Prison Inmates

More than 733,000 women and girls are detained in correctional facilities globally, as reported by current research studies. This number encompasses both pre-trial detainees and individuals already found guilty and punished. Researchers estimate the actual total is much greater due to missing information from several nations.

Women consistently represent a small minority of overall inmate numbers – commonly between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a faster rate than male prisoners.

Since the year 2000, the incarcerated females in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the increase observed in the male inmate numbers. The worldwide women inmate count grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Female criminal activities are commonly associated with economic hardship and usually serve as a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Comprehensive research 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 penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the failure to afford fines for minor crimes or to secure bail.

Countries with the Largest Female Prison Populations

The US has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in remand imprisonment and "bureaucratic confinement. 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 overall inmate count. Projections indicate these numbers are anticipated to grow 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 complete incarceration numbers.

Countries with Substantial Rises in Female Prison Populations

Even accounting for normal population growth over the last quarter-century, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a significant growth. These two nations have experienced over six times growth, while Indonesia and Turkey 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 likewise the states that execute the most people in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to latest reports, an unknown number 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 countries that execute the most or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The principal violations for which women are sentenced to death 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 increased quantities of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Moreover, countries that severely criminalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Arabian Peninsula and southeast Asia, have a high proportion of women on death row.

Appropriateness of Prison for Women

Numerous specialists and activists argue that prison is unsuitable sanction for a significant portion of women who commit crimes. Most are incarcerated 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 limited imprisonment terms – too brief to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

As many as 80% of women in prison worldwide have an diagnosable psychological condition. In Europe, suicide rates for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, as reported by the global health authority.

In reaction to increasing figures of incarcerated women and a absence of guidelines reflecting their needs, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were accepted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules require nations to establish non-imprisonment penalties and to provide women-specific consideration in prisons.

Kids with Imprisoned Mothers

An estimated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, typically their mother, while many times that number are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

In addition to the clear division and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to forfeit parental rights of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Numerous nations permit babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nevertheless, a childhood spent in prison can negatively affect a minor both physically and emotionally.