Women's Role in Terrorism: Radicalization and Extremist Group Dynamics

Women radicalization is becoming an important issue in modern society because the number of women and youth being introduced to terrorist groups is on the rise. 10% of the convictions in 2011-2018 were women and that number if feared to be rising from 2015. Radicalization is the embracement of terrorism ideologies which push someone to conduct activities that are meant to harm other people. Radicalization does not embrace equality and fairness because they view their actions as right while they harm people. Radicalization is facilitated by the fact that some people lack the appropriate education, are humiliated or neglected in the society. For example, women from the west are radicalized to encourage young girls and other women to join these groups. This paper will discuss how women are radicalized, their role in terrorism and extremist groups.

Women who join extremist groups are married off to militants and leaders where they act as maids and given roles such as cooking and home chores. This becomes an easy way to attract women all over the world because they find it pleasing to sit down and become house wives for these terrorists. (Pearson, 2016). Desperate women find it welcoming to get affiliated with people who harm others because in their societies or native countries, they were neglected or oppressed. According to the Pew Research Center, marrying women from other regions is an essential tactic while harvesting information to be used in conducting attacks. (Badran, 2006). Moreover, after being married, these women find it hard to go back to their countries because they feel appreciated. In modern society, the rise of the internet has brought about various challenges because through it, many people are introduced to new friends around the world.

Women radicalization into terrorist groups requires women skills such as doctors and financial strategists who help in the operations. When soldiers go to war with other groups, women are left to treat them and take care of them in case their condition gets worse. (Brown, 2013). Just like any other organization, the terrorist groups are keen to take advantage of the skills brought by women from other regions of the world. However, it is not right for women to work far away from their homes because taking care of children is their primary role which should not be undermined by their professions. In the Caliphate, women are given two year maternity leave and the employers should be ready to pay them while they are looking after their children. (Sanchez, 2014). Apart from that, women can be used to smuggle weapons and lure targets into positions of the intended attack.

According to a report given by UNESCO, countries around the world are suffering because of women who are radicalized by extremist groups because they end up becoming lethal weapons against global peace and security. (UNESCO, 2017). The internet is full of extremist groups which communicate to their targets on secure channels or even social media. The widespread use social media and other internet based platforms are increasing the chances of radicalization of women. According to the Pew Research Center, 80% of women in America use the internet daily and a significant number are registered in more than two social media platforms. (De leede, 2017). Goni explains that the widespread misconception that women cannot be involved in terrorism makes it better for them to continue getting involved. (Goni, 2018). People may view women as victims of radicalization but instead they are becoming the major players for conducting terrorism.

Analyzing the process of online radicalization and women in particular is an important strategy to have counter-terrorism policy strategies. Men are always on the limelight when it comes to terrorism and radicalization that we forget about women. (White, 2016). Thus, extremist recruiters understand the vulnerability posed by women in society. According to the United Nations Development Programme, social media and the internet create a platform that allows extremist groups leaders to form virtual groups that are meant to radicalize women and youth. (United Nations Development Programme, 2016). Through these groups, the targeted people are educated about certain ways of living and coerced to understand that these policies work if they join the extremist groups. The policies and beliefs educated on these virtual groups reveal the inequality and limited opportunities for people living in the normal world. (Sedgwick, 2010). Thus, women get radicalized and become significant figures in terrorism across the world.

Goni supports the idea that women may be married off to members of extremist groups but play a major role in spreading propaganda that attracts other women. (Goni, 2018). When people get information about something, they react in different ways. However when women are the ones giving the information, people tend to sympathize with them hence the targets i.e. other women across the world become radicalized as a result. For example, the Islamic State (IS) is famously known for recruiting women who tend to be neglected and humiliated in their society. Countries such as Indonesia, Kuwait and Turkey are victims of women radicalization who contribute a lot towards enforcing organizational goals for these extremist groups. (White, 2016). According to a study conducted by the International Center for Counter-terrorism indicate that almost 883 women have travelled to IS regions in 2016 alone.

A study conducted by Nuraniyah on female supporters of the Islamic state concluded that some of the women from Indonesian society join extremist groups out of good will. (Nuraniyah, 2018). Majority of women are unfortunate in this society and to have peace of mind, they end up relying on religion and social media platforms for solace and sympathy. When they join terrorist groups, women are coerced to become suicide bombers through the notion that they have a lot to inherit from their spiritual god. This is not usually the case because extremist’s group leaders use religion and one’s feelings to makes sure that they understand what they are doing. (Noor, 2010). As a result, women pose a security risk to global peace because once they are enrolled into these groups; they hold leadership positions and start controlling the activities to be done.

The United Nations has been a driving force towards understanding the parameters and motivations behind radicalization of women. One of the factors that facilitate women radicalization is the rejection of growing diversity in society. (Fink, 2013). Modern society pushes women to be enrolled into terrorist groups especially the IS because other women who are already in the IS motivate and encourage innocent women to join these groups. The UN concludes that young girls and women from the age of 16-33 are the culprits of radicalization. Online recruitment encompasses posting of videos by the women already in these extremist groups to social media platforms which indicate the life these women are being offered. (Ní Aoláin, 2016). As a result, other women feel the need to adapt to these ways of life without understanding the implication of their actions.

Most of the masculine duties or tasks in the community indicate that men should protect their loved ones unlike women. As a result of this ideology, women tend to think that stepping up their role in life is more important than leading a good life. (Huey, 2015). Therefore, when they see other women in leadership positions and doing things that are affiliated to men; they get encouraged to follow these groups blindly. A significant number of young girls who are radicalized end up feeling happy about their choices because they are made to feel important but in a dangerous environment. (Bloom, 2012). This increases the insecurity levels across the world because when these women are given tasks such as suicide bombing, they end up executing them effectively hence killing innocent lives across the world.

A study conducted by UN Women in Jordan indicates the process of radicalization in women happens from their peers and loved ones. For example, 79% of parent’s respondents in the study indicated that mothers have a great impact on how a child grows. (Women U.N, 2016). This indicates that if the mother motivates the child to believe in IS-related beliefs, the child will likely join the group in future. 50% of university students in Jordan who were involved in the study indicated that their mothers play a significant role in the radicalization process. (Women U.N, 2016). A part of the women who are radicalized are not necessarily violent but end up becoming a foundation for terrorist activities. These women are used as public figures in the radicalization process whereby other young girls and women feel motivated across the world.

The pressures of getting involved in terrorism activities are more on men than women but radicalization is equalizing this number. According to a security expert, women are not perceived to be dangerous in terms of killing people in masses. However, this has changed in modern society because women are being used to carry out suicide bomb attacks across the world. (Haverlson, 2012). For instance, in 2018 Puji Kuswati and her two daughters bombed the GKI Diponegoro church in Indonesia indicating a rising trend in women’s role in radicalization. This scenario helps realize the role of mothers in the radicalization process because if she involved her daughters in this attack, it means women are changing the overall perspective of terrorism across the world. (Awan, 2014). Women are in a more vulnerable position than men in modern society because they are sympathized with and convinced about conducting these actions.

Women are at the helm of radicalization processes especially widows who are seen as vulnerable people to any ideology introduced to them by terrorist leaders. For instance, De Leede offers an excellent example of Belgian-Moroccan woman Malika el-Aroud who created an online platform to showcase Muslim’s suffering in the Arabic world as a result of other government’s actions. (De Leede, 2017). Such strategies to coerce people especially women work effectively because they induce a blame game among the parties involved. Women affiliated to Jihad remind other women of their roles in society that is being wives and mothers but when they reach these territories their mentality is made to believe in conducting heinous acts. (O’Reilly, 2015). The role of women in terrorism can also be seen in the war between the Jihad and the Soviet Union where women were used to treat the wounded Muslim soldiers and smuggle weapons into Jihad territory.

The selected few who are sent on missions require tactical operatives that guide them on how to navigate their targeted areas. For example, the Mumbai attacks which happened in 2008 were carried out by a group of attackers who directly communicated to sources in Pakistan on the best approach to use. (Gonzalez, 2008). Using mobile phones, the attackers were able to kill more than 180 people and injuring 200 others. Women allied to the Pakistani based terrorist groups facilitated the attack hence contributing to threat that challenges global peace. To effectively radicalize the young girls into these extremist groups, the women justify their actions on social media platforms to convince innocent women to join them. (Bermingham, 2009). This becomes an objective which is derived to meet the needs of the terrorist groups across the world.

The correlation of women’s radicalization with peace and security is that women increase the insecurity levels across the world. According to the European Union, their citizens who travel to IS territories in the Arab world are well scrutinized and assessed because they end up joining these terrorist groups. (McCaughey, 2013). As soon as they reach these terrorists regions, they offer information that is vital for these extremists groups to conduct attacks such as the ones witnessed in Paris in 2015. Since the Caliphate announced its existence in 2014, the number of women leaving Europe for the Arab world increased significantly. For example, Germany witnessed an increase in women leaving for Syria and Iraq by 21% from the 15% which was constant before the Caliphate. (Pearson, 2016). In response to this, the Radicalization Awareness Network Centre of Excellence was established to research on the issues propelling women to join terrorist groups around the world.

Security concerns in all regions of the world are increasing with developed countries chipping in to assist understand what can help in reducing the rise of insecurity. For example, the attacks conducted in Kenya in the past few years indicate that terrorism in taking its course which does not benefit the global community. (Pearson, 2016). The UN has chaired peace processes and treaties between countries which conflict such as India and Pakistan. However, this peace processes do not yield positive results because radicalization is continuing to facilitate the spread of terrorism especially through women who are vulnerable in society. (De Cataldo, 2016). The Jihad territory value women hence the reason why it becomes easy and effective for women to join these groups under certain conditions favoring both parties.

An excellent radicalization group consisting of women is the Al-Khansaa Brigade which consists of women only. This group is active in Raqqa but the headquarters are based in Syria hence can accommodate a lot of radicalized women from all over the world. (Bloom, 2012). The role of these women is to maintain order in the network of women affiliated to ISIS and other terrorist groups. Women in this group are given the mandate to monitor women who want to run away back to their lives. After radicalizing women, the already existing women in these extremists groups have a role to play in ensuring that the new-comers abide by the rules. (Pearson, 2016). Secondly, the Al-Khansaa Brigade is responsible for women who wear the wrong clothes and are seen walking around with men. According to Eleftheriou-Smith, women from IS territory are hiding in Turkey after running away from these group. (Eleftheriou-Smith, 2015). The punishment given to the women who betray the group are 40 lashes which are administered without discrimination.

The escapees reveal that majority of the women who are either in leadership or monitoring positions are mainly from the west. This is because they are treated as assets because they understand their countries better and can be used to carry out attacks effectively without any shortcomings. (Badran, 2006). Giving women leadership roles in these groups encourages other women across the globe who are neglected by society to join so that they can have the same positions. The radicalization process is accompanied by good pay to ensure that the members feel satisfied and comfortable. The Al-Khansaa Brigade pays its members 70 to 100 euros per month as compensation and salaries. (Eleftheriou. 2015). Women who do not accept the ways of this group are beaten up and humiliated despite the age one is. The main aim of this group is to make sure that women act as wives and mothers.

Mothers are in a great position in the fight against radicalization because it is easy for them to detect radicalization signs in their children. Mothers are therefore asked to join in the fight against women radicalization because they are often looked up to by their children. (Bloom, 2012). Additionally, women can be valuable assets in the fight against radicalization through empowerment of women across the world. Empowering the women ensures that they are not forced into terrorist groups through online platforms which can happen anywhere in the world. (Nuraniyah, 2018). This reduces the risk of increasing insecurity globally while the radicalization process is weakened at the same time.

Women radicalization is a threat to global peace and security because women are using the power of interpreting the Quran through a feminism perspective. When the Quran is interpreted through the feminism lens, women from around the world justify themselves for actions done especially those that kill people. (O’Reilly, 2015). Interpretation occurs especially through gender-related issues that empower women but to the negative side. Local networks in the Arabic world, national and international ones become one strong radicalization platform that lures women from their countries to join extremist groups. A particular group of women targeted by extremist groups are the under-educated and the excluded in society such as widows. (Gonzalez, 2008). In conservative societies, widows are viewed as a curse to the community hence the acceptance by terrorist groups makes it easier for them to join without looking back.

From the research above, women are targeted by terrorist groups making them strong because women are seen as vulnerable and easy to control. Their role in terrorism has been seen to be tactical operators, suicide bombers, spreading information and propaganda and maintaining order for women under these groups. However, the main role is to radicalize other women into these groups through online platforms where messages, videos and pictures are displayed. These pictures tend to make the terrorists innocent while they are the main problem and threat to global peace and security. Therefore, eliminating radicalization can reduce the attacks conducted across the world especially bombings which have claimed many lives in all regions of the world. Moreover, internal conflicts prevail in their backyard because the groups fight against themselves to gain power over each other.

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