ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to highlight the roles that women play in terrorist organizations in the United States, specifically regarding leadership. Men and women differ in their leadership styles. Women focus on being understanding and are more compassionate toward those they have power over. Most female terrorist leaders have applied their skills in mainstream terrorist groups. These groups have well-formed methods of achieving their goals and are otherwise known as formal terrorist organizations. Their structures are focused on the way objectives are organized and how these objectives are implemented. Case studies on female leaders of the Weather Underground (e.g., Bernardine Dohrn) and the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) demonstrate how methods of persuasion and terrorist recruitment are conducted. Finally, other roles in terrorism, including passive roles and logistics roles, are considered.
