The Illusive Third Wave

Are Female Terrorists the New “New Women” in Developing Societies

Bibliographic Data

ID6409261
AuthorsChristine Sixta (corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume29
Issue2
Pages261-288
Publication date2008-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueWomen & Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0195-7732 • E-ISSN: 1540-9473
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/15544770802118645
OpenAlexW2023545678
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited5

Are terrorist women the new "new women" in developing societies? Comparative cross‐national and longitudinal case studies of female terrorists ascertain that female terrorists in developing societies are similar to early feminists from the First and Second Waves of feminism. Although feminism is inherently a Western word and many female terrorists do not identify with this terminology, female terrorists are often fighting for political equality and the betterment of their gender. Female terrorists face what is called a triple bind of oppression: societal gender inequalities, oppression within their terrorist groups, and Western oppression from imperialist nations. These three kinds of oppression, or the triple bind, often hold female terrorists back from gaining political equality. However, the triple bind is also what makes these female terrorists militant in the first place. She would like to express many thanks to Dr. Lynn Weber, Dr. Sharough Akhavi, Dr. Peter Sederberg, and Dr. Laura Woliver for their invaluable advice regarding this paper. Keywords: Double binddual oppressionfemale terroristsnew womenterrorismtriple bindsuicide bombingThird WaveWesternizationimperialism Notes She would like to express many thanks to Dr. Lynn Weber, Dr. Sharough Akhavi, Dr. Peter Sederberg, and Dr. Laura Woliver for their invaluable advice regarding this paper. 1. In her article, Thurner refers to both the anti‐suffragists and the suffragists as "new women." Thurner argues that anti‐suffragists were in fact "new women" or early feminists in their own right. In this article, I am using the term "new women" to describe the early feminists. 2. I have chosen the work of Rebecca Lewin to best express my own idea of feminism. Lewin (Citation1983) states that feminism "is a theory that calls for women's attainment of social, economic, and political rights and opportunities equal to those possessed by men. Feminism is also a model for a social state—an ideal, or a desired standard of perfection not yet attained in this world" (Lewin Citation1983, 17). 3. State sponsored terrorism is terrorism that is paid for by a government. Payment may come in many forms such as weaponry, money, or political protection. Saddam Hussein sponsored terrorism in Israel through Palestinian fighters. Although terrorist groups in this article may be sponsored by different countries, they are violent for their own purposes regardless of where they receive their money. 4. Feminists cannot seem to agree on a common understanding of women and the use of force. See Howes and Stevenson (Citation1993) for more information on feminist views on women and the use of force. 5. Numerous quotes can be found expressing admiration for female suicide bombers, especially amongst Palestinian sources or Sri Lankan sources. 6. More research needs to be completed as to whether liberal democracies and capitalist governments deter the development of terrorist groups. In addition, gender equality is also an important variable in the determent of terrorist groups

Criminology · Face (sociological concept · Feminism · Militant · Oppression · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Terminology · Terrorism · American Political and Social Dynamics · Gender Studies · Law · Race, History, and American Society · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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