Prisoners of War, Female

Since its first documented usage in 1660, the term prisoner of war (POW) has commonly referred to men, and now women as well, who have been imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. Chapter Two of the 1907 Hague Convention was one of many attempts made during the 20th century to fully outline the parameters of POW categories. The 1949 and 1950 Geneva Convention (III and IV) Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War mentions very little about women prisoners. However, several articles in the treaty (13, 14, 25, and 29) call for separate housing, acknowledgment of specific hygiene and health needs, and the right to receive the same favorable treatment as men.