

With the end of World War II and desegregation slowly coming into effect both inside and outside of the United States Federal Prison system, inmates once again felt the need to create a group that could allow them to come together and protect themselves.

Women might have contributed to these efforts in some capacity but their roles remained quite limited by the mentality of the times. Although some evidence of all-female criminal groups traces back to the 1880s, most of these were isolated cases in an environment that was otherwise still predominantly dominated by men.Īs a matter of fact, social clubs – that’s how gangs were called in the early 20 th century – were usually founded by the men in a community to protect both women and children from external violence or discrimination. To better understand how women fit into the world of modern organized crime, we should start with a few bits of history. Still, women have long played an important part in the criminal underworld and their rise to power gradually reshaped the way most gangs operate.įor that reason, today we take a look at the role and duties of female members in some of the States’ biggest organizations. While female gang members have been in the headlines several times, however, the concept of women belonging to gangs still struggles to find its place in popular culture. Ask the same question in the United States and you’ll hear people describe young men in baggy clothes, often wearing matching colors to distinguish themselves from rivals. The History and Role Of Women In US Gangsįor most people, the epitome of a gangster is still a smart, handsome man in a custom-tailored suit.
