“Paradas” and “Arrechas”

Abstract

This article describes and analyzes the disrupted femininity of women within gangs in the city of Bucaramanga (Colombia) through the employment of a gender approach. We argue that such women, albeit exposed to multiple forms of violence in their neighborhoods, are also agents of violence with a singular identity, which is expressed by performative acts and ways of being and caring for others, in which broad gender arrangements are simultaneously disrupted and maintained. This research followed a qualitative methodology based on ethnographic work and 50 in-depth and semi-structured interviews.