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Present Worldwide Women Prison Inmates

More than 733,000 women and girls are currently held in prison systems globally, according to recent research studies. This statistic covers both pre-trial detainees and individuals already convicted and sentenced. Analysts suggest the real number is much greater due to incomplete data from numerous states.

Females typically constitute a minor proportion of overall inmate numbers – typically between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the world's incarcerated individuals. However, their population is growing 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 growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The worldwide women inmate count grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Key Factors Behind the Increase

Offenses committed by women are commonly linked to poverty and typically represent a means of survival to provide for their families.

Extensive studies has determined that laws often criminalize acts of survival and that women are unfairly targeted because they are disproportionately represented among the most impoverished segments of society. In many 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 inability to pay fines for petty offenses or to secure bail.

Countries with the Highest Female Prison Populations

The America has the greatest quantity 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 "administrative detention". 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 England and Wales, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the total prison population. Projections indicate these numbers are predicted to increase 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 Substantial Rises in Female Prison Populations

Despite considering normal population growth over the last quarter-century, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a remarkable increase. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced more than sixfold increases, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen more than fivefold rises.

Female Capital Punishment Cases

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 also the countries that carry out the most capital punishments in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by 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 states with most frequent capital punishment or for additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nonetheless, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the highest numbers of females on death row.

The principal violations for which women are receiving execution orders are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are inclined to display greater amounts of women on death row and more executions.

Furthermore, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Gulf region and southeast Asia, have a significant percentage of women on death row.

Suitability of Prison for Women

Many experts and campaigners maintain that prison is unsuitable sanction for a significant portion of women who commit crimes. Most are incarcerated for peaceful violations; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women commonly face a "revolving door" of brief incarceration periods – inadequate duration 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, suicide rates for women in prison are nine times higher than for the overall public, according to the World Health Organization.

In answer to growing statistics of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines addressing their requirements, the International Women Prisoner Standards (known as the Bangkok Rules) were accepted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to create alternative punishments and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An calculated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, typically their mother, while a much larger quantity are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

Apart from the evident parting and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a brief period in prison.

Many countries allow for babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a certain age. Nonetheless, a youth experienced in incarceration can negatively affect a minor both in health and mental state.