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Statistics from Brazil´s Ministry of Justice reveal that, in recent years, the participation of women in criminal activities has expanded dramatically. Women have been mostly arrested for non-violent offenses, in particular for involvement in drug-related crimes. High-scale revenues and numerous job opportunities have been attracting an increasing number of women to the drug world. However, restricting women´s motivations to engage in the drug trade to their social and economic marginalization resonates somewhat simplistic. Based on in-depth open-ended conversations, this research examines life histories of women who have experienced incarceration for drug-related offenses. The scope of this research is to contribute to debates about the level and nature of women´s participation in the drug world, and to explore the diverse factors that motivate women to take part in drug trade activities.

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Priscila Bittencourt Ribeiro de Oliveira was born in Rio de Janeiro. She holds a M.A. in Cultural Differences and Transnational Processes from the University of Vienna (Austria) and a B.A. in International Relations from Universidade Vila Velha (Brazil). Currently Priscila is pursuing her PhD in Social Sciences at the University of Vienna.

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