The involvement of women in crime nowadays cannot be overlooked. Globally, there has been a growth in the involvement of women in criminal activities. Previously, crime related activities have been largely associated with the male. Various forms of crime have always been conducted by men making a crime to be regularly associated with men. In the past, the place of women has been at home, taking part in the bringing up of children and caring for their families. However, due to technological advancements and the rise of gender equity campaigns, women have been freed from the home, making them have more freedom and are now involved in many forms of crime. With the recent upsurge of criminal activities, women have been implicated in several cases of crime. On the contrary, though they take part in almost all forms of crime, there are categories of crime with which women are highly associated with. Some criminal activities are considered feminine and hence attract many women to be perpetrators.
These crimes are mostly concerned with activities that favor certain features such as looks to confuse men. Most crimes committed by women are not serious offenses like those done by men. Women are considered to take part more in property crimes than violent forms of crime. Women do not participate in violent forms of crime due to the physicality involved. Most women lack the physical exertion and features that would allow them to participate in violent crimes. Property crimes include theft, drug offenses, and fraud. Due to the increase of women in crime related activities, it is imperative for the explanation towards their involvement and what causes this growth. Therefore, the paper will discuss three types of criminal activities that are considered to be committed by women. The three forms of criminal activities include prostitution, shoplifting and drug abuse. These three offenses are mostly committed by women since they are non-violent.
Prostitution
Prostitution is an act of crime which involves the offering of sex or other sexual favors for money. Engaging in the act of sex for compensation is a crime. The buying of sex from women has become a normal occurrence in many cities. In most parts of the world, prostitution has been mainly associated with women. Women have the appeal that easily attracts men for the services of sex for money. Most of the time, the word prostitute is used to define women with the exclusion of men. Therefore, women are very much implicated in this type of crime since most of them are the service givers. In most scenarios what happens is that women act as prostitutes in brothels, streets. The women also do call-girl services where they are called to designated places where the payers of the service want the sex services offered. This type of offense is committed by women more than men. Men are largely the solicitors of women involved in prostitution to get sexual activities. Women are forced into prostitution as a result of poverty, homelessness, money pressures, modern-day slavery among others. It is very difficult for men to be labeled as prostitutes since they do not offer themselves for money but they offer their money to prostitutes.
Though prostitution requires both men and women to be propagated, the peddlers are women. Prostitution has become rampant in many parts of the world nowadays mainly due to the high levels of poverty, especially in many third world countries. This type of crime is so serious that it is done in the open with women displaying themselves openly for all to see. Displaying themselves shamelessly acts as marketing strategies to invite potential services to pay for their services. The difference between the involvement of men and women is mostly caused by ego. Men boast of big egos. Men’s ego makes them not to stand to be seen in prostitution. The world will judge more harshly a man who offers sexual activities to get money than a woman offering sex for money since the society has already branded women as the gender that practices prostitution. Men would rather be seen as buyers of sex than sellers to protect their egos and seem that they are in control. Men are the biggest consumers in prostitution. Furthermore, without men involving in the seeking of these services women hooked in this crime would not have any way of continuing with it. On the contrary, the demand for sexual services from men has led to the explosion of this type of crime. With demand comes supply. Furthermore, the crime has also led into sexual slaves where young girls from low-income families or developing countries are forced or tricked by other people into the business of prostitution for them to gain profits. As such, prostitution is a crime that is highly connected with women since they are the major service providers. They are also the most easily marketable in the crime boosting the revenue stream they get from prostitution.
Shoplifting
Another general type of crime involving women is shoplifting. Shoplifting falls under larceny which is a property crime; it constitutes taking a persons’ property without their permission from a supermarket or a store or a marketplace or a shop. It is the stealing of goods from a shop or supermarket or store or marketplace while pretending to be a customer. Shoplifters pretend to be customers to blend in with a crowd of legitimate customers. Shoplifting involves concealing of products in purses, pockets, bags and body parts. In most cases, foodstuff, cosmetics, alcohol and other drinks, bar soaps, toiletries, and clothes are the most shoplifted items. Shoplifters steal as a result of needs, peer pressures, desires, and excitement. Other shoplifters steal because of poverty and life difficulties. Women are vulnerable to this type of crime because they do a lot of household shopping. Women are also vulnerable to shoplifting because shoplifting has a physical approach to the crime.
Women have the tendency of shoplifting items from supermarkets, clothes stores, cosmetic stores, grocery markets and drug stores. Many shoplifting incidences have seen the involvement of women more than men. Both men and women conduct this type of act. However, there is a high percentage of women participating in shoplifting activities. Since shoplifting is a simple form of crime, shoplifting does not involve violence. Shoplifting does not require intricate and detailed planning. Shoplifting does not require special equipment and can be conducted by one person. Shoplifting requires agility and speed so that the shoplifters are not caught by the shop owners or shop workers.
Since shoplifting is a simple crime, it attracts women. Women are not highly associated with violent forms of crime. Men are not largely involved in this crime; it is mostly considered feminine. Men take part in robberies more than shoplifting which is simple theft. The difference is that men tend to participate in criminal activities that are considered violent. Consequently, many men do not take part in shoplifting. Fraud and forgery are other serious crimes that involve a big number of women. Forgery pertains the faking of documents, signatures, or any other valuable object with the intention of deceiving. On the other hand, fraud is the deception of individuals or organizations to swindle money. Fraud and forgery have been linked with women. It is a type of crime that does not involve much violence. Therefore, women find it easy to do. The forging of documents, signatures and even printing of fake currencies are all forms of forgery.
Men are also perpetrators of this criminal activity. However, cases of women involvement in this crime have been growing. Women find fraud and forgery simple to conduct since it does not require putting people lives at risk. Most of those involved in this crime have perfected the art of being skilfully liars and conmen. The organizers are very intelligent, and they do a thorough research on the person or place they plan to target prior. Sometimes, if the plan involves many activities, the crime is done by a group. In other moments, these crimes are so simple and involve one person. Thus, women have found themselves being involved in these activities.
Women are also involved in sale, distribution, and preparation of drugs. Drug offenses are also criminal activities that women get themselves involved in. The misuse of drugs and other addictive substances affects many women. Drug and substance offense has become a very common type of crime. Drug abuse as a crime involves the smuggling, selling and using of drugs and other illegal substances. Though drug offenses involve many men, the involvement of women in this activity is also on a great rise. Recently, women are used to traffic, export, import, and trade illegal drugs in many parts of the world. Drug lords use women to make the drugs since women are easily harassed into slavery. Additionally, many women are drug addicts. The usage of heroin, cocaine, bhang and other hard drugs by women is on the rise.
Married women, unmarried and even young girls have plunged themselves in the misuse of these hard substances. As such, this type of crime has become common to women. Women perpetrate the brewing of illegal alcoholic brews and are majorly associated with the selling of these illegal brands. A high percentage of ladies are also involved in the smuggling and trafficking of drugs from one nation to another. Because women are mostly regarded to be innocent, illegal drug tycoons have taken this advantage and lure women into drug trafficking. The use of women in such type of activities has increased in the recent past. Men are also participating in this criminal activity. However, the addition of women in this conduct has been observed recently.
Conclusion
In conclusion, women are nowadays taking part in the crime in most parts of the world. There is a rise in the number of women involved in criminal activities. The development of technology, the growth of gender equity campaigns, and other social transformations give women the freedom making their involvement in other activities including crime to increase. Women are associated with non-violent forms of crime. The participation of women in prostitution, drug trafficking and abuse, shoplifting and fraud and forgery as discussed is becoming rampant. In other categories of crime, the participation of women in crime is growing yearly. Therefore, there is a need for the controlling of the involvement of women in crime to abate this problem. Since the issue is becoming serious, proper prevention, control and rehabilitation policies for women in crime must be put in place. The government should create awareness campaigns on the issue so as women will be educated and get to know the effects of involvement in the crime. Women should be encouraged to participate in other nation building activities instead of putting themselves in crime.
