(Page 2 of 29) - Understanding Female Terrorists: An Analysis of Motivation and Media Representation authored by Shedd, Juliette.

1. Explaining the Phenomenon of Female Terrorists

The rise in female terrorism has been explained by popular and academic literature as a symptom

of a variety of individual and societal factors. In this analysis I will identify psychological and
biographical factors linked to an individual’s turn to terrorism, as well as societal factors: ideologies,
social norms, and the breakdown of the social system. A focus on individual and societal factors provides
valuable insight into the individual’s decision to become involved in terrorism, as well as the societal
conditions that provide a pool of recruits for terrorist organizations. Acts of terror, however, are rarely
committed by individuals without the support of an organization. If an individual decides to become
involved in terrorism, the ability to carry out an attack generally requires the support and blessing of a
terrorist organization. Not all terrorist organizations have embraced the participation of women in
terrorist action. A decision to use women as combatants must be made at the group level. The presence
of female terrorists is evidence that in certain contexts there is a convergence between individual, societal,
and group factors, clearing the way for women to be assigned combat roles within terrorist groups.

1.1 The Relationship between Media and Terrorism

Studies of the relationship between media and terrorism show us that media coverage of an attack

can change the ability of a terrorist group to achieve its goals. The coverage a particular action receives
provides feedback to the group which is incorporated into future planning. When a terrorist organization
deems publicity and media coverage necessary to achieve its goals, the amount and type of coverage that
its actions receive may influence the type of act the group attempts. The target, perpetrators, damage, and
victims can all determine the coverage that an event receives. This research will identify differences in
how male and female terrorists are covered by newspaper accounts. Media coverage can quantitatively
and qualitatively differ based upon the gender of the perpetrator. Although clearly not the only factor
affecting how an event is covered, the newspaper article analysis here demonstrates that the difference in
coverage due to the gender of the perpetrator does appear to be significant within particular contexts. In
these contexts, differences in coverage may encourage terrorists to use women as operatives to secure
frequent and more sympathetic coverage.

1.2 Defining Terrorism

A concrete definition of terrorism remains problematic. While almost every government and

non-government agency involved in studying terrorism has its own definition, these tend to favor those
aspects of terrorism that fall within the agency’s own specific mission. “Terrorism- the calculated
employment of violence, or the threat of violence by individuals, subnational groups, and state actors to
attain political, social, and economic objectives in violation of the law, intended to create an
overwhelming fear in a target area larger than the victims attacked or threatened- is as old as civilization
itself” (Alexander & Swetnam, 2001). The focus in this definition on fear and multiple targets is
particularly appropriate as a basis for looking at how media and terrorism interact. “Terrorism is called
terrorism because it violates the normative values of the target entity- regarding the employment of lethal
force” (Hanle, 1989, p. 105). This distinction separates insurgencies from terrorism. For many of the
cases presented here, the terrorist group is tied to an active insurgency. The actions of the group that are
considered terrorism will rely on the distinction between actions that fall within norms for combat and
those that violate norms.

In defining terrorism as a type of war, Hanle (1989) makes a distinction between physical force

and moral force. “Physical force physically disables the enemy, making it impossible for him to continue
to fight- whether he wants to or not” (p. 18). Moral force demoralizes the enemy. Even if they maintain
the ability to fight, they lack the will (Hanle, 1989, p. 18). As weapons and warfare have become more
advanced, the ability to employ moral force has become more important. Terrorism is the use of limited
violence to demoralize the enemy and change the enemy’s behavior. Terrorism as an instrument of fear
and demoralization is particularly tied to how the media report on terrorist attacks. Media accounts can
sway whether the target audiences will be demoralized or energized by the attacks.