Women are more present in today's crime statistics and studies show that women are moredurable than men when it comes to risk factors concerning their upbringing and entrance tocrime, but how do women see themselves in the shadow of their former drug abuse? What aretheir opinions on gender differences, are there gender differences in organized crime and havethese had an influence on women's entrance and exit process from organized crime? With thisessay the main goal is to deep dive into former criminal and drug abusing women’s realm to findout how their experiences and opinions cooperate or differ in relation to the gender differencesthey have experienced through their participation in organized crimes. The goal is also toexamine the eventual gender biased entry and exit process of former drug abusing women andhow the opinions towards themselves as an ex-criminal woman are expressed in relation to this.

This study has a qualitative research strategy as a starting point where five ex criminal women invarying ages and from different locations in Sweden were interviewed through semi structuredinterviews. The theories and concepts that were used as frame of reference for this essay areorganized crime, femininity, ex-criminal, gender, gender differences and stigma. 

From the interviews it appeared that childhood trauma had been present in different levels for theparticipating women and also that the power structure was clearly divided in favor of the men inorganized crime. Moreover stories appeared aimed at the police force and deficiency in themanagement of exposed groups like this essay's socioeconomically exposed women.