Women's Participation in Suicide Bombing (Research Paper Sample)

Gender and War: Women’s Participation in Suicide Bombing
Introduction
Women’s participation in acts of violence is overlooked. Feminist movements have engendered radical women who have adopted the discourse and weaponry employed by male terrorists. Researchers believe that women have exceptionally portrayed the role of terrorists due to their violent nature compared to men (Bloom). For instance, women increasingly participate in the crime, as indicated by FBI data. In addition, professionals who study trends in global terrorism have realized the growing involvement of women in terrorist organizations. Female terrorists have become a menace to private corporations and other administrative agencies because they are hired in junior positions with no security checks. Unfortunately, employers have unknowingly given female terrorists conventional access to critical information accorded to clerical staff (Bloom). Furthermore, police officers are easily duped by appeals for help from female terrorists staging fake attacks. Notable examples of famous female terrorists include Sylvia Rafael and Tamara Bunke. Nonetheless, the current focus on female suicide bombers ignores the past involvements of female figures in political violence. Today, women are taking the lead in wars by supporting suicide bombers. In particular, a suicide bombing is a terrorist attack where the culprit causes harm to a group of people by using their bodies to denote an explosive device (Galehan 113). The first instance of a female suicide bomber occurred in Lebanon, where a teenage girl was sent to cause harm to an Israeli caravan in Lebanon in 1985 (Galehan 113). Since then, instances of female suicide bombing have spread to other nations.
The Uniqueness of how Gender is used in Suicide Bombings
Different factors motivate men and women to participate in suicide bombings. In particular, male suicide bombers engaged in such violent acts due to nationalistic and religious reasons. However, women were encouraged to participate in suicide bombing for vengeance, significantly harming family and friends (Bloom). Regarding a recruiting approach, males were enlisted through religious influence more frequently than females. Most women were enrolled through outreach programs to locate people who have been victimized through aggressive attempts (Bloom). The purpose of these outreach operations is to recruit women for suicide bombing. In particular, males and females enlisted through peer pressure do not have substantial differences. However, males enrolled through peer influence were substantially more likely than females to fail in their aggressive operations.
Terrorist Organizations Conducting Suicide Attacks
Women participate in suicide bombings due to several reasons. For instance, they may orchestrate suicide bombings to seek retribution against a target’s harassment (Galehan 115). In addition, they may also participate in such violent acts to show their allegiance and commitment to a cause. While some may see suicide terrorism as an act of cowardice, it demands the suicide bomber to be mentally alert (Bloom). In most cultures, women are seen as second-class citizens. Engaging in such severe violence is a show of dedication and can captivate male combatants. A woman’s participation in suicide bombing may also be driven by the desire to achieve significant gains for the family (Bloom). In most cases, the role of a suicide bomber requires the woman to confront the patriarchal society, which ultimately improves the family’s social capital. It also increases women’s social standing in the world.
Since women and children are protected by different treaties, such as the Geneva Accord, they become suitable candidates to be used as suicide bombers. Moreover, women and children are highly regarded in different cultures. Terrorist organizations may opt to use women to orchestrate suicide attacks for some reason. However, it is uncommon for terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, Taliban, and al Qaeda to urge women to participate in violent acts. Instead, they rely on women to lure other females to join their cause and reward fighters (Galehan 115). Terrorist organizations see women as significant participants in the creation and development of quasi-states. Nonetheless, women represent 13% of immigrants associated with the Islamic State in the Middle East (Markovic 283). Women’s involvement in suicide bombings holds a great tactical appeal while also posing new security concerns for officials.
The unique characteristics of using women in suicide bombings come from societal views. For instance, women are widely perceived as peaceful. As such, they are least expected to be involved in violent crimes. Therefore, terrorist organizations may rely on female suicide bombers over men because women can effortlessly avoid detection. In addition, security officials are less likely not to search and stop women. Security officials often look for weapons and physical signs of fear when looking for potential terrorists (Markovic 285). Instead, women can easily hide weapons by wearing appropriate attire. Terrorist organizations that use female suicide bombers are exceptional at exploiting vulnerable women due to domestic violence, absence of societal representation, and gender discrepancy (Markovic 286). Therefore, terrorist groups convince these women to join the cause by offering them a solid ideology narrative. Women are convinced that by joining the cause, they will be able to address their tribulations outside the “caliphate” (Markovic 283). In addition, they are tempted by the prospect of being members of a community based on support and friendship. This new sense of belonging is ultimately used to validate their radicalization and sacrifice. The aspect of sacrifice explains why women participate in suicide bombing incidents. Compared to a man covered with explosives, women find it easy to approach a target, avoid inspection and, generally, surprise the target. Suppose a security officer discovers a female suicide bomber, counteracting by killing them is regarded as a public relations rebellion from the perspective of terrorists (Bloom). In this regard, the video of the act can be circulated to promote negative publicity.
Media Frames Covering Suicide Bombings
Although history has shown that men orchestrate most violent acts, women have also increasingly been involved in acts of terror. The media has frequently portrayed female terrorists as intruders in an entirely male world. In particular, a comparison of the media’s framing patterns regarding female leaders in politics and ingrained preconceptions about women terrorists reveals similarities in the portrayal of these two categories of women (Kirk 12). Political campaign directors and terrorist organizations share a similarity. Campaign directors are often aware of the public’s stereotypical gender attitudes, similarly to terrorist groups' awareness of and exploitation of gender stereotypes reinforced by the media.
Media representations of women suicide bombers revolve around sexualized, susceptible, and coerced women. Media outlets claim that these women are persuaded and influenced by terrorist groups to orchestrate violent acts. In addition, the media also stresses the woman’s physique and outfit, while other media articles focus entirely on the feminine traits of a suicide bomber (Day). For instance, the media circulated discriminatory comments describing Loula Abboud, a teenage female suicide bomber in Lebanon (Day). The media depictions, in this case, were overly racialized. Researchers also believe that Western media tends to denigrate specific characteristics of female Islamist suicide bombers to ridicule their religious beliefs (Day). Women participating in a suicide bombing are frequently framed as totally non-consenting in regard to ostensibly restrictive Arab or Muslim cultures (Day). In particular, these women are often seen as sacrificial virgins used by men running terrorist groups.
Hasna Aitboulahcen’s case is an exceptional example that explains the media framings of suicide bombing. Aitboulahcen was a suspect involved in the Paris attacks in 2015 (Bloom). Several media outlets across Europe mentioned Aitboulahcen after a broadcast channel in Belgium mistakenly circulated this information. However, Aitboulahcen’s involvement in the Paris attacks was somewhat minor. Reliable sources revealed that Aitboulahcen was the cousin of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the perpetrator of the episodes (Day). Both Aitboulahcen and the perpetrator lost their lives in a raid. Sources claimed that Aitboulahcen blasted a suicide vest but later revealed that Chakib Akrouh detonated the suicide explosive (Day). Despite reports surfacing five days after the explosion, the international media circulated the previous allegation, engendering a substantial volume of shocking reports (Day). Although Aitboulahcen was not directly involved in the Paris bouts, the latter was an accomplice to the perpetrator.