The women of opium

In 2022, a decree from the Taliban government in Afghanistan outlawed the cultivation of opium poppies. Crops collapsed and there was no availability of raw material for the production of heroin throughout the world. The opium market immediately moved to Myanmar, where the corruption of the military government and the conflict with the armed resistance of the People Defense Force rebels offered excellent opportunities to increase opium cultivation, especially in the northern regions, in the infamous “Golden Triangle”.

In 2023 and 2024, observers noted an important involvement of "opium women" in a multifaceted, complex and dangerous drug trafficking network, which also includes the massive production of synthetic amphetamines. Women have been mobilized by economic desperation and a lack of alternatives within regions victimized by unprecedented violence, where many men are engaged on one side of the conflict.

In poor, isolated mountain communities, women often act as low-level farmers, couriers and drug dealers, motivated by the urgent need to support their families. They are perceived as less suspicious by the authorities, which increases their exploitation in trafficking networks. Women involved in drug trafficking are extremely vulnerable: they risk arrest, prison, violence and social ostracism. Many suffer physical and sexual abuse at the hands of traffickers, law enforcement and people in positions of power. They can rarely report and see their rights defended, which they know little about, also due to a low literacy rate.

In addition to prison and violence, women engaged in drug production and those who become addicts face serious health risks, including exposure to toxic chemicals, addiction and sexually transmitted diseases . Women involved in drug trafficking are often ostracized by their communities, losing their vital support networks and facing further marginalisation.

Tackling drug trafficking requires a holistic approach that includes demand reduction in consuming countries, regional development cooperation, law enforcement and harm reduction strategies, as well as focusing on specific needs of women.


Sandro Calvani
NP May 2024