Women have generally been subjugated to supportive roles in patriarchal Islamic groups, however the last number of years has seen a rise in their mobilization in violent extremist roles within...Show moreWomen have generally been subjugated to supportive roles in patriarchal Islamic groups, however the last number of years has seen a rise in their mobilization in violent extremist roles within those organisations. This trend is unusual considering that the tradition, culture and religion of these groups have traditionally served to limit women's engagement to auxiliary positions. While mobilising women in such positions benefits these groups in numerous ways, it also comes with a number of costs that need to be considered by such groups and that have generally prevented women's entry into such positions in the past. This paper seeks to understand what has motivated this shift in tactics, by use of a benefit-cost analysis, as well as examining current theories and conducting three case studies. The findings suggest that group duress is the strongest factor influencing an organisation's decision to engage women in violent acts of terror.Show less
