Mid Sweden University

The purpose with this essay is to contribute with knowledge, to get a deeper understanding about why women get involved in networks of organized crime, what part they play and what obstacles may show themselves when they leave. To get an insight into what part women play in organized crime, we have interviewed six women who all have experience in the matter - either from being involved in organized crime themselves, or from working with the issue. Since this essay is about women’s part in organized crime, and partly why it differs from men’s, we have used two gender theories to better understand it. There has not been a lot of studies done on what part females play in organized crime, especially not in a Swedish context - even though organized crime in Sweden is a problem and continues to grow at an alarming rate. If we want to stop this development, we need to know what causes it.