WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORISM: A CRITICAL LOOK AT THEIR ROLES IN SELECTED TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS

Abstract

The study examined why societies are slow or not inclined to imbibe thedirective on gender equality, as terrorist organisations are using this directive to entice morewomen by offering them opportunities to hold positions of prominence, which are denied bythe societies in which they live. While the research study employed content, process theoriesand push and pull factors were also examined. The study adopted a multi-layered methodologyin which four cases of transnational terrorist groups were selected and qualitatively analysed.The study concludes that women play a variety of roles in terrorist organisations, in some casesmore than men do, and the implications of this role for the global war on terror have led to along way in devising effective counterterrorism strategies and policies. For example, BokoHaram may be abducting girls and women to use as future recruiters or suicide bombers.However, in espionage parlance, they are called