Mulheres e tráfico de drogas: uma análise crítica das tramas tecidas em produções científicas brasileiras

Abstract

Female imprisonment rates have grown exponentially in recent years. Women who populate prisons in Brazil fit into a certain profile: they are young, black, with little education and are responsible for crimes related to drug trafficking. This last fact is quite significant and has motivated researchers to try to understand the aspects that characterize the insertion and the role of women in illegal drug trade, also problematizing, at times, its relationship with the exacerbated growth of female imprisonment in Brazil. In this sense, this study aims to analyze, from a systematic review of the literature, Brazilian scientific production regarding the relationship between women and drug trafficking in the period of time that goes from 2006 to 2020. For this purpose, the following databases were used: CAPES' Journal Portal, PEPSIC, BVS, REDALYC and SCIELO. As a result, 31 articles were considered relevant for this study. The South and Southeast regions were responsible for 81% of published research, in addition to being the regions where 66% of the authors reside. The journals where studies are published belong mostly to the fields of Psychology, Public Health and Interdisciplinarity, and present a high level of quality, given that 23 articles have "qualis A". 85% of the authors are women. Debates have been predominantly based on critical theoretical references. Eight theoretical categories were created to explore and problematize the discussions presented in the articles from a Critical Criminology perspective. The study noted that the female population addressed in the studies is the population that experiences a situation of evident vulnerability, and belongs to lower social classes and is the target of the punitive system. It is argued that it is not possible to have a single conception of women perpetrators of crimes, in such a way that makes it necessary to overcome the victims versus protagonists dichotomy, considering that the contexts in which these events occur are complex and plural. The social, historical, cultural and gender backgrounds have affected women more intensely, eventually driving them to enter the illicit substance trade market, which allows them to immediately solve the most urgent needs for sustenance, care and protection. Women's role in the illicit drug trade takes place mainly in subordinate roles, because it is structured according to society's standards for gender. The understanding is that, since they generally work in positions of greater exposure, women are more vulnerable to criminalization, which explains the growth of female incarceration. In conclusion, the study argues the defense of public policies aimed at the decriminalization and legalization of illicit drugs and for liberation. Considering the need to expand publications on women and drug trafficking, the study suggests greater investment in scientific production in the North, Northeast and Midwest regions. Finally, the power of the productivity of women researchers is recognized.