"Al-Khansa Battalion"": The Role of Women in Jihadist Groups

Abstract

The article discussed the role of women in modern Islamist terrorist organizations, which has undergone significant evolution. Since 1960-70s women have become actively involved in the activity of the terrorist organizations, not only as members but also as leaders of these groups. A clear example of this is the Red Army Faction operated in Germany which was named as the Bader-Meinhof group after one of its leader Ulrike Mienhof. The increased involvement of women in Islamist radical organizations is linked to the phenomenon of the Chechen “Black Widows”. As the use of female bombers became very successful strategy, Islamist radical organizations paid attention to it and quickly adopted. Consequently, in groups like al-Qaeda and Hamas, women became not only mothers and wives but also propagandists, fighters, and suicide attackers. The article primarily examines the role of women in ISIS, as defined in its “Medina Charter.” According to this document, a woman’s primary duty was within the family; however, she was permitted to take part in fight when necessary. Structurally, women in ISIS carried out administrative, propaganda, recruitment, and combat-related functions. A particularly example is the al-Khansaa Battalion, established in 2014 in the city of Raqqa. The battalion united Muslim women from various countries from the Middle East and North Caucasus to Europe. Its main function was to monitor women’s behavior. After merging with Hisba, the battalion became a kind of religious enforcement unit that supervised women’s conduct in public spaces and streets. It also engaged in propaganda and recruitment, persuading foreign girls to marry ISIS fighters. After the collapse of the ISIS, the al-Khansaa Battalion was disbanded. However, its members continued spreading jihadist ideology and raising the next generation of fighters. Although their functions changed after the battalion’s dissolution, their role did not diminish, they remained active in various forms of jihadist activity. The al-Khansaa Battalion clearly illustrates that in modern radical Islamist groups, women are not merely supporters but also serve as fighters, suicide bombers, ideologues, and recruiters. In many cases, they stand behind decisions made by male leaders. Such active female involvement transforms combat tactics, inspires other women, raises future generations of jihadists, and contributes to the perpetuation of martyrdom-driven ideology.