Excerpt from my Politics 395 Independent Study, “Female Suicide Terrorism in Chechnya and Palestine: A Multi-Faceted Oppression.”
Suicide bombings carried out by women constitute a relatively new phenomenon, though their numbers have increased in recent years, and they have proved to be more deadly than their male counterparts (as measured by the number of deaths and injuries). Between 1968 and 2012, somewhere between 256 and "more than 300" women carried out or attempted suicide bombing attacks. Female suicide terrorists from Chechnya and Palestine seem to receive more media attention, perhaps due to Russia's global power and the nature of international involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but there have also been female suicide …show more content…
Poor governance and economic conditions exist as a result of colonialism, allowing terrorist organizations to thrive, though terrorism can and does occur in wealthy countries. Human rights abuses increase the chance that a person acts out against their government in a violent (as opposed to a nonviolent) manner. Finally, strict gender roles may inspire women to rebel against them, and allow women to carry out attacks strategically. This paper examines these reasons for suicide terrorism by Chechen and Palestinian women. Studying the motivations of women who became suicide terrorists can illustrate the problems faced by women, which can help create policies to improve the status of women and prevent further …show more content…
Due to its devastating physical and psychological effects, suicide terrorism has been widely studied by political scientists, psychologists, and other academics, as well as reported on by the media. As attacks have increased over the years, so have the differing hypotheses about the motivations and goals of suicide terrorists. Female suicide terrorists, who are a more recent phenomenon, have inspired another increase in studies of terrorism. Commonly studied determinants of suicide terrorism are poverty, education, and societal conditions in the terrorist's home country, and regime type in particular can be a point of contention. Deniz Aksoy, David B. Carter, and
Suicide bombings carried out by women constitute a relatively new phenomenon, though their numbers have increased in recent years, and they have proved to be more deadly than their male counterparts (as measured by the number of deaths and injuries). Between 1968 and 2012, somewhere between 256 and "more than 300" women carried out or attempted suicide bombing attacks. Female suicide terrorists from Chechnya and Palestine seem to receive more media attention, perhaps due to Russia's global power and the nature of international involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but there have also been female suicide …show more content…
Poor governance and economic conditions exist as a result of colonialism, allowing terrorist organizations to thrive, though terrorism can and does occur in wealthy countries. Human rights abuses increase the chance that a person acts out against their government in a violent (as opposed to a nonviolent) manner. Finally, strict gender roles may inspire women to rebel against them, and allow women to carry out attacks strategically. This paper examines these reasons for suicide terrorism by Chechen and Palestinian women. Studying the motivations of women who became suicide terrorists can illustrate the problems faced by women, which can help create policies to improve the status of women and prevent further …show more content…
Due to its devastating physical and psychological effects, suicide terrorism has been widely studied by political scientists, psychologists, and other academics, as well as reported on by the media. As attacks have increased over the years, so have the differing hypotheses about the motivations and goals of suicide terrorists. Female suicide terrorists, who are a more recent phenomenon, have inspired another increase in studies of terrorism. Commonly studied determinants of suicide terrorism are poverty, education, and societal conditions in the terrorist's home country, and regime type in particular can be a point of contention. Deniz Aksoy, David B. Carter, and