Studies in Security and International Affairs

In the last decade the world has witnessed a rise in women''s participation in terrorism. Women, Gender, and Terrorism explores women''s relationship with terrorism, with a keen eye on the political, gender, racial, and cultural dynamics of the contemporary world. Throughout most of the twentieth century, it was rare to hear about women terrorists. In the new millennium, however, women have increasingly taken active roles in carrying out suicide bombings, hijacking airplanes, and taking hostages in such places as Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and Chechnya. These women terrorists have been the subject of a substantial amount of media and scholarly attention, but the analysis of women, gender, and terrorism has been sparse and riddled with stereotypical thinking about women''s capabilities and motivations. In the first section of this volume, contributors offer an overview of women''s participation in and relationships with contemporary