Más allá de la autonomía y la coacción. Procesos de reclutamiento y motivaciones de mujeres para unirse al crimen organizado en México
Beyond Autonomy and Coercion. Recruitment Processes and Women’s Motivations for Joining Organized Crime in Mexico

Summary/Abstract: Analyzing 20 in-depth interviews with women who are former or active members ofcriminal groups, we describe some women’s motivations for joining and remaining in criminal groups and their recruitment process. Main motivations for joining criminalgroups are a sense of belonging and recognition, access to financial resources andprotection from violence or desire for revenge. Belonging to a criminal group providedthe participants with agency and autonomy that they had not previously experienced.We conclude that joining criminal groups can be a way for women to escape gender-based violence and patriarchal norms. However, as structural machismo shapes theirexperiences within criminal groups, autonomy is an illusion, limited to the backing ofmale leaders who ultimately exert control over women’s lives.

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