Feminism done wrong: What motivates women to join terrorist organizations? A case study of the Black Widows

Abstract

Perhaps one of the most understudied aspects of terrorism is that of the female terrorist. This research analyzes the motivations of female terrorists to join organizations and compares them to the motivations of male terrorists. I use an extreme case study of the Black Widows for my comparison of motivations because of the organization's all-female composition and overall success. I argue: that women join terrorist organizations to seek out a solidarity group; women join terrorist organizations due to personal and political grievances; Women join terrorist organizations due to a desire for non-material incentives. After careful analyzation of interviews, interview analysis, and background literature, I conclude that: women are to some extent motivated by the wish for a solidarity group as well as (to a lesser extent) non-material incentives. Women motivated by grievances (both personal and political) proved to be the most significant variable in determining female terrorist motivation.