THE RATIO OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY TO MALE CRIMINALITY PRESENTS VARIABLE PICTURE IN THE OVERALL CRIMINALITY OF VARIOUS COUNTRIES. THE LOWEST RATE OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY OCCURS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN DO NOT TAKE PART IN THE BUSINESS LIFE OF SOCIETY AND WHERE RELIGIOUS AND TRADITIONAL TIES ARE STRONG. THE HIGHEST RATES OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY OCCUR IN COUNTRIES WHERE INDUSTRIALIZATION AND URBANIZATION ARE MOST ADVANCED. IN MOST CAPITALIST COUNTRIES THE FEMALE CRIMINALITY RATE IS 17 TO 18 PERCENT, WITH A MODERATE UPWARD TREND. SOCIOLOGISTS AND CRIMINOLOGISTS OFFER A VARIETY OF EXPLANATIONS OF THE LOWER RATES IN FEMALE OFFENDERS. THE BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION EMPHASIZES THE RELATIVE PHYSICAL WEAKNESS OF WOMEN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS SUCH AS PASSIVITY. HOWEVER, THE SOCIOLOGICALLY ORIENTED APPROACH IS THE EXPLANATION OF WIDEST ACCEPTANCE. THIS THEORY ARGUES THAT THE CRIMINAL OPPORTUNITY OF WOMEN IS LIMITED AND DEFINED BY A RESTRICTED ENVIRONMENT. A CHARACTERISTIC OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH LOW VOLUME IS THE HIGHER DEGREE OF LATENCY. THIS MEANS THAT THE CRIMINALITY RATE IS HIGHER THAN FIGURES SHOW BECAUSE SOME CRIMES, SUCH AS OFFENSES AGAINST YOUTH, DO NOT COME TO THE ATTENTION OF AUTHORITIES. SOME AUTHORITIES CLAIM THAT VIOLENT CRIMES ARE RARELY COMMITTED BY FEMALES; HOWEVER, IN SOME COUNTRIES PREMEDITATED MURDER CONVICTIONS OF FEMALES OCCUR AS GREATER PERCENTAGES OF CRIMES THAN THE OVERALL FEMALE CRIMINALITY RATE. IN GENERAL, THE FEMALE CRIMINAL IS BECOMING MORE ACTIVE, VIOLENT, AND INTELLECTUAL. IN ADDITION, AS WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN BUSINESS INCREASES, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PERPETRATION OF OFFENSES SUCH AS FORGERY, EMBEZZLEMENT, AND BRIBERY WILL ALSO INCREASE. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED.