Poverty and Abuse: Persistent Pathways to Crime for Women in South Africa

• In Event: 30662 - Section on Crime, Law, and Deviance Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 9: Violence, Pathways to Crime, Life Course

Abstract

This study examined the pathways contributing to women’s conflicts with the law in South Africa. Globally, women represent the fastest-growing prison population, with a 50% increase since 2000. This trend underscores the urgent need to investigate the factors driving the rise in women incarceration. In the global south, including South Africa, women's incarceration is a significant concern with profound socioeconomic implications. The study aligns with South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focused on empowering women and girls. Using a combination of ethnography, interviews, and participatory visual methodologies, the authors share insights into the experiences of women incarcerated in a South African correctional centre. The findings revealed that poverty and gender-based violence are two major contributors to pathways leading women to crime and incarceration. Addressing these socioeconomic drivers is critical to curbing the growing trends in women criminality. The article concludes with the research participants ideas for how to address these challenges in their communities, including initiatives focused on knowledge co-creation, vocational training, and socioeconomic empowerment. Such efforts can help mitigate the factors leading to crime and support the achievement of the SDGs, particularly those aimed at eradicating poverty in the global south.

Authors

• Nokukhanya Mbonambi, University of Pretoria

• Taylor Paige Winfield, University of Arizona

• Azar Mahmoudi, McGill University