From suicide bombers to positions of authority—the changing role of women in jihadi groups
Khadra Essa, a Somali-born Dutch citizen operating in Syria under the name Umm Qaqa al-Somali, is a wanted woman.
The roles of women within jihadi organizations have undergone a significant transformation over time. Traditionally, women in terror groups were primarily viewed as bomb carriers or attackers, with no formal authority or influence within the organization. However, recent developments indicate a shift towards formalizing women's leadership roles within these groups.
Khadra Essa, a Somali-born Dutch citizen, exemplifies this evolving trend. She operates within Syria under the alias Umm Qaqa al-Somali and is wanted by the U.S. State Department for her role as the chief sharia instructor of ISIS-NK, an all-female combat battalion formed in 2016. Essa has received extensive training in weapons, explosives, and suicide operations, as well as indoctrinating ISIS extremist ideology among female fighters and enforcing sharia law against women. The U.S. government has offered a $5 million reward for her capture.
Historically, secular militant groups have also employed women in suicide attacks. For example, Sana a Mehaidli from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party was involved in a 1985 suicide bombing in Lebanon, while Dhanu, a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, assassinated Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The Palestinian militant group Hamas also began using female suicide bombers in 2002, citing the tactical advantage of women reaching targets that men might not be able to access.
However, the scale and formality of women's roles in jihadi groups have expanded significantly. In recent years, female suicide bombers have become a prominent feature of Boko Haram's operations, accounting for at least 56% of the 434 bombers identified across 238 attacks between 2011 and 2017. This development marks a departure from the earlier practice of relegating women to secondary roles within jihadi organizations, emphasizing their importance in recruitment, training, and management functions alongside their operational contributions.
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