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Gendering the agenda: women drug mules in resolution 52/1 of the Commission of Narcotic Drugs at the United Nations

Jennifer Fleetwood (Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK)
Nayeli Urquiza Haas (Assistant Lecturer in the School of Law at the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK)

Drugs and Alcohol Today

ISSN: 1745-9265

Article publication date: 9 December 2011

873

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to analyse the content and implications of resolution 52/1 of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations (UN) titled “Promoting international cooperation in addressing the involvement of women and girls in drug trafficking, especially as couriers”.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on socio‐legal analysis and an extensive search of UN databases, the resolution is contextualised and the findings of the resulting report which examines the scale of women's participation in the global drug trade is summarised.

Findings

The article demonstrates that the data produced are unreliable as a measure of women's participation in the international drug trade.

Practical implications

It is argued that this resolution is weakened by lack of clarity about how gender ought to be mainstreamed in global drug control.

Originality/value

As the first resolution on women and girls' participation in the international drug trade, Resolution 52/1 is a significant step towards raising awareness and systematically accounting for their participation.

Keywords

Citation

Fleetwood, J. and Urquiza Haas, N. (2011), "Gendering the agenda: women drug mules in resolution 52/1 of the Commission of Narcotic Drugs at the United Nations", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 194-203. https://doi.org/10.1108/17459261111194134

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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