Women, Gender, and Terrorism

Studies in Security and International Affairs

by Laura Sjoberg (Contributor), Caron E. Gentry (Editor), Alisa Stack (Contributor)

In the last decade the world has witnessed a rise in women’s participation in terrorism. Women, Gender, and Terrorism explores women’s relationship with terrorism, with a keen eye on the political, gender, racial, and cultural dynamics of the contemporary world.

Throughout most of the twentieth century, it was rare to hear about women terrorists. In the new millennium, however, women have increas­ingly taken active roles in carrying out suicide bombings, hijacking air­planes, and taking hostages in such places as Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and Chechnya. These women terrorists have been the subject of a substantial amount of media and scholarly attention, but the analysis of women, gender, and terrorism has been sparse and riddled with stereotypical thinking about women’s capabilities and motivations.

In the first section of this volume, contributors offer an overview of women’s participation in and relationships with contemporary terrorism, and a historical chapter traces their involvement in the politics and conflicts of Islamic societies. The next section includes empirical and theoretical analysis of terrorist movements in Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine, and Sri Lanka. The third section turns to women’s involvement in al Qaeda and includes critical interrogations of the gendered media and the scholarly presentations of those women. The conclusion offers ways to further explore the subject of gender and terrorism based on the contributions made to the volume.

Contributors to Women, Gender, and Terrorism expand our understanding of terrorism, one of the most troubling and complicated facets of the modern world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Terrorism

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Laura Sjoberg is Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Her first book Gender, Justice and the Wars in Iraq was published in 2006. She has published articles on just war theory in the International Journal of Feminist Politics, International Politics and International Studies Quarterly. Her research focuses on gender, just war theory, international security and international ethics.

Reviews

[J.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was skeptical going into this book. The popularity in some circles to make every human experience a manifestiation of a certain flavor of oppression has made my eyes abnormally strong from the constant rolling. However, this book was actually interesting and explored a gendered perspective of terrorism in a way that was intellectually stimulating (for the most part) and not just the ideological ramblings of activists posing as scientists.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good inside look to women in terrorism.

[Ellery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an interesting book with a lot of great case studies and events which they use to support their analyses. Put succinctly in the conclusion of the book, it aims to provide "productive directions for theorizing contemporary terrorism through gendered lenses". Taken from the book, these directions are:
1) rethinking agency in terrorist decision-making (namely for women),
2) thinking about terrorism as a whole,
3) rethinking who and what counts as a terrorist, and
4) rethinking the theoretical frames we use to deal with terrorism.

The goal essentially for this book is to allow the reader to see terrorism through the 'gender' lens, thus giving a more encompassing view of terrorism that doesn't subjugate or silence women in this space and challenges many of the binaries we see in Western media.

[Karu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good analysis about women involved in men-dominated domain. What are their tasks in different terrorist and insurgent groups, examples, motives, advantages and exploitation version.
Recommend to everyone who is interested in feminism, women fighters, female suicide bombers, terrorism, insurgent groups, etc.