It is an object to provide a hook-and-loop fastener female member including an engaging layer adopting a non-woven fabric, the hook-and-loop fastener female member being excellent in engaging force, and a hook-and-loop fastener and a sanitary article each including the hook-and-loop fastener female member. Provided is a hook-and-loop fastener female member ( 100 ) including: an engaging layer engageable with a hook-and-loop fastener male member and including a non-woven fabric of fiber； and a physical property layer configured to hold the engaging layer, in which the engaging layer has a flexibility index A, which is expressed by Equation (1), of 0.004 g -2 or more: A=1/(P1×P2) (1), where P1 represents a maximum compressive load when a ring body, which is obtained by connecting a front end portion and a rear end portion of the hook-and-loop fastener female member of an elongate shape having a width of 25 mm in its elongate direction to each other through use of a stapler so as to form a ring shape having a roll diameter of 20 mm, is deformed through application of a compressive load to the ring body from its axial direction, and P2 represents a maximum compressive load when the ring body is deformed through application of a compressive load to the ring body from its width direction.
