Mulheres no tráfico de drogas no estado do Amapá: entre a vulnerabilidade social e a estratégia do crime organizado

Abstract

Women’s participation in drug trafficking in Brazil has intensified in recent decades, especially in contexts marked by social inequalities and the expansion of repressive drug-control policies. In the state of Amapá, this phenomenon takes on specific characteristics due to its socioeconomic conditions and strategic location, which favor the activities of criminal organizations. In this context, the present study investigates the extent to which women’s involvement in drug trafficking results from situations of social vulnerability or from structured strategies employed by organized crime. The objective is to analyze the factors that influence women’s participation in this context, considering the interplay between social inequalities and criminal dynamics. This is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study conducted through a literature review based on scientific articles, books, and institutional data related to female criminality, drug policy, and the Amazonian context. The results indicate that women’s involvement in drug trafficking is associated with factors such as poverty, low levels of education, precarious integration into the labor market, and responsibility for supporting their families. The findings also show that organized crime strategically exploits these conditions by recruiting women for less visible roles. In addition, affective relationships with members of criminal factions constitute important mechanisms for women’s entry into and continued involvement in this context.