MOTIVATIONS FOR JOINING TERRORIST GROUPS: A GENDER COMPARISON

Abstract

This study aims to examine gender differences and comparisons when it comes to motivators for joining terrorist or violent extremist organizations. Despite terrorism and the underlying motivation being a popular topic of political discourse and scholarship, there is not adequate discussion on how motivating factors can differ between men and women. This study uses excerpts and data from approximately two hundred interviews conducted by Dr. Anne Speckhard, with former male and female members of the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This study analyzed these interviews and existing research data for motivators and identified the most common motivators across each gender. This study found that while there were common factors that motivated both men and women to join a terrorist group, there were also some unique factors as well. The identification of unique motivation factors across males and females highlights the importance of establishing counter-terrorism strategies that account for these differences. This paper encourages further research and study of gender differences in motivators for joining terrorist groups and how the differences play an important role into developing counter-terrorism strategies.