Global Female Incarceration Statistics and Death Row Figures
Current Global Female Prison Inmates
In excess of 733,000 women and girls are currently held in correctional facilities worldwide, based on recent research studies. This figure covers both remand prisoners and individuals already convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the true count is significantly higher due to unavailable statistics from several nations.
Women consistently represent a minor proportion of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. However, their numbers are increasing at a faster rate than male inmates.
Since the year 2000, the incarcerated females in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the growth observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The global female prison population increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.
Primary Drivers Behind the Rise
Female criminal activities are commonly associated with economic hardship and typically represent a means of survival to provide for their families.
Comprehensive research has established that laws often criminalize essential livelihood measures and that women are unfairly targeted because they are over-represented among the poorest sectors of society. In various countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the lack of resources for fines for petty offenses or to arrange temporary freedom.
Countries with the Highest Female Prison Populations
The US has the greatest quantity of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "procedural custody. Other significant 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. Projections indicate these numbers are predicted to increase 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.
Nations with Major Growth in Incarcerated Women Statistics
Despite considering typical population expansion over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the rise in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a significant growth. These two nations have experienced more than sixfold increases, while these countries 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 nations that put to death the most women are likewise the states that perform the highest number of executions in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on current records, an uncertain quantity of women were executed in China, while two received death sentences 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 additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nonetheless, analysis is accessible regarding 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 mandatory death penalties for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as reducing factors, are inclined to display higher numbers of women on death row and frequent death sentences.
Moreover, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Gulf region and Oriental southeast, have a high proportion of women on death row.
Appropriateness of Imprisonment for Women
Numerous specialists and campaigners argue that prison is not a suitable punishment for a significant portion of women who violate regulations. The majority are imprisoned for peaceful violations; in England and Wales, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women often encounter a "repetitive cycle of short prison sentences – too brief to take part in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.
As many as 80% of women in prison worldwide have an recognizable psychiatric disorder. In Europe, self-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the wider community, based on the World Health Organization.
In reaction to growing statistics of jailed women and a absence of guidelines considering their circumstances, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (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 ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.
Kids with Imprisoned Mothers
An calculated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities 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 obvious separation and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to forfeit parental rights of her children after just a short time in prison.
Numerous nations make provision for babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a specific age. Nonetheless, a early life in correctional facilities can harm a young person both bodily and psychologically.