ABSTRACT
This chapter deconstructs the notion of women as “perpetrators” of jihadi terrorism. Based on a critical analysis of scholarly journal articles and reports from media organizations (such as Aljazeera, Amnesty International, BBC and Premium Times) of women’s experiences with Boko Haram, the chapter advances three main arguments: First, the growing social construction of women as “perpetrator” of terrorism – particularly radical Islamic terrorism – downplays the socio-cultural and structural processes leading to women’s involvement with terrorist organizations. Second, female agency in terrorist organizations and activities is better understood when grounded in the cultural and structural milieu of female insurgents, terrorist organizations’ construction of gender, and the experiences of female insurgents on the frontline. Third, the mechanisms through which female Boko Haram operatives are recruited and deployed make them more of victims than perpetrators of jihadi terrorism. The chapter draws on the agency-structure approach and argues that the gendered power asymmetries embedded in the cultures and structures of Northern Nigeria – the base of Boko Haram – highly influence how women are involved and for what purpose in the insurgency. Although the chapter does not negate the agency of women in terrorism, it aligns with the studies that consider women insurgents as victims than “perpetrators” of terrorism.
