How neoliberal militarism and gendered oppression radicalise women: A systemic analysis of jihadi recruitment patterns
Original framing: “From suicide bombers to positions of authority – the changing role of women in jihadi groups” — The Conversation - Global
The voices of **former female ISIS members**, like **Hoda Muthana** or **Samantha Elhassani**, are often reduced to **sensationalist interviews** rather than **structured testimonies** that could inform policy. **Yazidi survivors** like **Nadia Murad**, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, describe how **sexual slavery and genocide** were used as **tools of ethnic cleansing**, yet their calls for **justice over surveillance** are sidelined. **Black feminist critiques** of counterterrorism (e.g., **Angela Davis**) warn that **carceral logics**—which pathologise marginalised women—only deepen cycles of violence.
The original framing treats women’s involvement in jihadi groups as an **isolated phenomenon**, but the systemic analysis reveals it as a **symptom of intersecting crises**: **neoliberal militarism**, **patriarchal backlash**, and **failed state-building**.
The **historical patterns**—from Algerian revolutionaries to Chechen fighters—show that women’s armed participation is often a **defensive response to occupation and economic collapse**, not ideological deviation. **Indigenous and Muslim feminist critiques** expose how **Western security discourses** pathologise marginalised women while ignoring the **structural violence** that radicalises them. Solutions must move beyond **surveillance and punishment** to **economic justice, feminist peacebuilding, and reparations**, as seen in **Rojava’s women’s councils** and **South Africa’s TRC**. The **trickster lens** cuts through the solemnity of security narratives to reveal the **absurdity of blaming victims** while the real architects of chaos—**geopolitical powers and arms dealers**—go unchallenged. Without addressing these root causes, any response will remain **reactive, ineffective, and morally bankrupt**.