Female Perpetrated Terrorism and Suicide Bombings

Historically, women have played important roles in terrorist organizations. The roles of women in terrorist organizations, however, have been more supportive than militant. The duties given to these women were to reproduce, providing more fighters and supporting and caring for the men as they fought and gathered intelligence. In recent decades, female roles in terrorist organizations have changed and they are being utilized in more instrumental ways. Females who have lost their husbands and loved ones to government forces appear to be ideal for recruitment. Their male counterparts have discovered their usefulness on the front lines as the ultimate smart bombs. In this study, we seek to gain a better understanding of female perpetrated terrorism and the etiology of female suicide bombers.