Women Engaged in Violent Political Activity

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss women involved in violent politics, including women who assist in violence from behind the scenes and those who act as violent participants. We begin with a short review of women’s participation in violent politics across history. We then discuss women in terrorist organizations, followed by discussions of women as suicide bombers and as genocidaires. The chapter closes by examining media reaction to violent women. Case studies focus on Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) in the Basque Country, the transnational Al Qaeda network, and Black Widows in Chechnya. L.