Palestinian Women in Terrorism: A Double-Edged Sword?

Area of Science:

• Sociology and Political Science
• Feminist Theory
• Conflict Studies

Background:

• Terrorism research often overlooks the specific motivations of women in conflict zones.
• Feminist theory emphasizes women's agency, even in extreme actions like terrorism.
• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict provides a complex context for examining gender roles and violence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the subjective "rational choices" motivating women's participation in terrorism.
• To analyze the personal and strategic factors influencing women's involvement in terrorist activism.
• To contextualize women's roles as combatants within Palestinian terrorist organizations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a decade of research on terrorism within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Qualitative interviews with young women involved in terrorist activities.
• Application of a cost-benefit approach to understand strategic deployment of female combatants.

Main Results:

• Women's motivations for terrorism include thrill-seeking and rebellion, alongside established factors.
• Palestinian terrorist organizations strategically deploy women as combatants.
• The inclusion of women highlights societal ambivalence regarding their roles in a patriarchal culture.

Conclusions:

• Women's participation in terrorism is driven by a complex interplay of personal and strategic rationales.
• Societal patriarchal structures and ambivalence contribute to women faring worse than men in these contexts.
• Findings have implications for feminist research and policy development concerning women in conflict.