Gangsters Lure Women and Young Girls to Join Gangs

A research conducted by Mullar has found that gangsters in the Cape Flats are alluring girls as of age 12 years old to join Gangsterism. Registered counsellor and psychology master’s degree holder, Imanuella Muller says gangs often use fear and intimidation to lure young girls and women to be part of their gang also in the research shows gangsters are aware of the vulnerability of women and young girls which they uphold and tend to use to their advantage.

“Women play various roles in gangs. These include being information carriers, hiding and handling contraband, ‘trapping’ rival male gang members, selling drugs and taking part in robberies. ’This clearly shows that women are in fact part of core gang activities, and do not just exist on the sideline of gangs,” says Muller.

According to Muller, existing pre- and post-intervention initiatives may not offer sustainable change for some young girls and women due to a lack of funding. She adds that some programmes may not be holistic enough in addressing the diverse needs of this group of women.

Done by Lucille Dyosi