Women as Agents of Terror: Women Resources and Gender Discourse in Terrorism and Insurgency

Abstract

In an attempt to pay attention to the growing trend of terrorism and insurgent conflicts in Africa, this article examines the involvement of women as agents of terror. The prevailing narration of armed conflicts including terrorism and insurgency in Africa and across the world are largely masculine. In this framework, women are only recognised as victims in a series of campaigns of terror engineered by men. However, the enduring involvement of women and young girls as combatants, (suicide) bombers, spies and bates, recruiters, mobilisers, motivators, strategists, camerawomen and media crew in operations, procurers and suppliers (including transporters and porters) of arms, ammunitions, foods and messages to insurgents among other domestic services like sex, cooking, cleaning and property maintenance in camps comes to mind. Drawing from the pull of experience in Africa and elsewhere, this study interrogates the motivations and patterns of women involvement in terrorism and insurgency, and associated organisational dynamics.