Change is the Only Constant: the Evolving Role of Women in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

In the past, women in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were known to serve as homemakers (i.e., wives, mothers). However, in recent times there has been a shift in their roles, as more women are starting to emerge on the front lines as suicide bombers, recruiters, or a part of ISIS's...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gan, Ruth (Author)
Contributors: Khader, Majeed ; Seng Neo, Loo ; Chin, Jeffery
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2019
In: Women & criminal justice
Year: 2019, Volume: 29, Issue: 4/5, Pages: 204-220
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Summary:In the past, women in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were known to serve as homemakers (i.e., wives, mothers). However, in recent times there has been a shift in their roles, as more women are starting to emerge on the front lines as suicide bombers, recruiters, or a part of ISIS's official women police brigade. This article investigates this phenomenon by performing a thematic analysis on open-source material, namely research reports, media reports, and propaganda material produced by ISIS. In doing so, it presents the evolution of the roles of women in ISIS from past to present and highlights key reasons that motivate women to join ISIS, which include ideology, alienation, romance, peer influence, and a sense of security. Implications for research on women in terrorism have also been identified.
ISSN:1541-0323
DOI:10.1080/08974454.2018.1547674