ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the roles of Western women supporting the so-called Islamic State (IS), zooming in on both women who had successfully travelled to the IS and on women who supported the group from their home countries. The chapter commences with a historical account of women’s roles in jihad for background purposes, before exploring women’s roles in IS. It demonstrates that women have contributed to IS in various ways. They have maintained and propagated the jihadist ideology, supported their jihadist husbands, raised their children according to jihadist ideology, recruited others and transported messages, weapons and goods. On a smaller scale, women have taken on operational roles in the planning and (attempted) execution of attacks. The author argues that, compared to men, women predominantly contribute to jihad in a facilitative rather than an operational manner. Often, this supportive role of women is poorly understood and assessed and considered to be of secondary importance. This chapter demonstrates women have historically formed an integral part of jihad, and their roles have been complementary to men’s. It argues that women’s (supportive) contribution to IS should not be treated as separate from, or secondary to men’s but should be considered of equal importance.
