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Title: Role of Women in Terrorism
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Blog Entry: Role of Women in Terrorism   Women are becoming more active and lethal as they choose to engage in terrorism. They can be very difficult to detect, hence, the involved authorities must step up their vigilance and effort to tackle the growing threat. Women have been historically involved in the conflicts and politics of Islamic societies. According to Richardson, the female engagement in terrorism is not a current or even new issue to the twentieth century, and it is not particularly an Islamic or religious phenomenon. Historically, Tamil and Kurdish groups used women extensively in suicide missions. In the recent past, there has been the emergence of female suicide bombers in Chechnya terrorist groups. However, the extensive deployment of Palestinian women in suicide missions gained attention in the Western world. The stereotypical view of women’s motivations and thinking has also been exploited by terrorist groups. As women increase their participation in violence and terrorist activities, the responsible authorities must keep pace. This trend must be countered not only by the United States but also by all countries that harbor them. This essay explores women’s relationship with terrorism in reference to the gender, culture and political dynamics of the contemporary world. Role of Women in Terrorism Terrorism in its original context was closely linked to the ideal of democracy and virtue. These aspects could be easily manipulated to lure women in the perceived struggle for them. As early as 1970, there was female involvement in terrorist activities in Italy. Despite being underrepresented, they were brutal, stealth and more committed in their terrorist organizations. Since 1985, women have accounted for 25% of the fatal attacks in Israel, Iraq, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, Palestine, Lebanon, and Morocco. By 2008, women had acted as suicide bombers in Iraq’s markets and other locations patronized by Shiites. Other research indicates that since 2002, women had carried out 50% of suicide attacks in Chechnya, Turkey, and Sri Lanka. Historically, men have been at the forefront of terrorism. India’s prime minister was killed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist group from Sri Lanka, because a female terrorist managed to get close to him . 30 % of the members of the LTTE are women, who, besides suicide bomb missions, have roles in the battlefield and in medical camps. Throughout most of the twentieth century, it was rare to hear about female terrorists. In the current millennium, women have increasingly taken various active roles in terrorism, such as hijacking airplanes, taking hostages and suicide bombings. This has been rampant in places, such as Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya, and Lebanon. In the current society, the growing trend of women’s participation in terrorism has taken a substantial amount of scholarly and media attention. In the last two decades, the world has experienced a rise in women’s participation in violence and terrorism. One of the key reasons why jihadists have accepted female participation in terrorist activities in their organizations is because they have lost many males in the course of thorough counter-terrorism measures. Women raise fewer suspicions, and terrorist organizations exploit the fact that security agencies have inadequate female personnel to get closer to their targets. Security agencies are also gender-biased, and this can be easily exploited to encourage women's participation in terrorist actions. The new mantra “women must fight” has led to the emergence of a young generation of female jihadists who believe that the act of violence can be liberating spiritually and politically for women as for men. Religious women can deflect their husbands’ or parents’ objections by invoking the religion, which trumps all. The trend of women’s role in terrorism is highly likely to continue. Recently, Al Qaeda launched an Arabic-language magazine targeting women . Similar to its English-language magazine, it inspires women and urges them to take up the jihadist mantle. In the same context, the voice of a woman is used to shame men for not being active enough. Policymakers should consider how women can play a greater role in counterterrorism. More women should be incorporated in intelligence fields so that they might stealthily work, undercover and gather critical information. In addition, the governments should conduct training programs for women in the government, civil society, and law enforcement so that they can play a crucial role in modeling national security, particularly terrorism policies and programs. In this sense, terrorist groups would shun away from exploiting gender counterterrorism and law enforcement agencies. With the migration to the cyberspace, more women are informed and exposed to the appealing literature of the extremist groups posted online. In fact, women of all sects and ages are playing a trending role in several elements linked to terrorism. There were reports of a Shiite female jihadist unit established to target Sunnis. The other form of involvement consists of the opening of bank accounts under the maiden name. These accounts are used to evade the counter-terrorism financial experts and authorities as they channel funds. Women are used to raising money for terrorist groups through charities. They are also used to transmit information and transport supplies past airport and border securities as they are perceived to be less suspicious. These women are referred to as Mujahidaat. Terrorist organizations have various strategic reasons to recruit women. Central to this, women are stereotyped as less violent, thus they might elicit less attention and execute stealthier attacks. There are also intrinsic sensitivities in questioning and searching women, particularly in most conservative Muslim societies. The attacks conducted by female terrorists often confuse profilers and raise tension within the target groups. Female suicide bombers often bring greater publicity, which is highly appreciated by terrorists. This draws more recruits. Research also indicates that most of the women involved in terrorism must have had a life crisis. Therefore, they are motivated by the desire for revenge. They are also observed to stress nationalism more than their male counterparts. Richardson points out that, unlike men who are attracted to terrorism by ideology, most women are attracted by the men and/or by a relationship. Joining a terrorist group is greatly determined by the person or link you know. This cuts across both men and women. Some of the recent key milestones in the fight against terror are the arrest of Al Qaeda’s key operatives and the death of Osama bin Laden. Despite this, Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups remain resilient and adaptable as they retain their capability to carry out regional or cross-border attacks. This outlines that governments must continue to remodel and adopt innovative policies and programs to combat new threats, such as female terrorists. Adoption also involves a comprehensive and consistent incorporation of women in the fight against terrorism.     Based on the discussion and illustration above, it is evident that the threat of female terrorists is much more complex and trending. The radical group that might emerge within communities across the globe. These groups entirely depend on the anonymity of their internet resources to communicate. As women increase their participation in violence and terrorist activities, the responsible authorities must keep pace. This trend must be countered not only by the United States but also by all countries that harbor them. The women’s role in terrorism and counterterrorism can range from serving as suicide bombers to spearheading public educational campaigns against terrorism. Government agencies, such as the Bureau of Counterterrorism, should also incorporate more women into its policies and programs so as to keep pace with the volatile landscape of terrorism. More of my articles on TopDissertations website.