From victim to perpetrator, from supporter to combatant: women’s multifaceted relationship to political violence

Abstract

Women are no strangers to political violence. Their involvement in political violence has been anecdotally noted throughout history, even if not always formally acknowledged for a long time. Whereas dynamics of (men’s) political mobilization in violent contexts have been long studied, only recently did researchers take upon themselves to look specifically at women’s formal and informal experiences with political violence in a more comprehensive way. Because violence and conflict were – and are still often – considered a male domain, women were not until recently construed as holding the same degree of agency as their male counterparts, if at all. Seen as intrinsic “life-giving” entities navigating into a “life-taking” environment, their involvement was mostly only considered when appreciated as victims, and/or peacemaking/peacekeeping actors. Apart from a few exceptions, occurrences of women’s participation in support for and/or direct involvement in political violence were framed as against women’s “nature,” and therefore anomalistic and aberrant. Moreover, the political dimension of their involvement in such cases was often denied, their motivations framed as personal and/or emotionally driven, in a societal context emphasizing the scientific superiority of the rational political actor. Recognition of women as full political agents is – to this day – largely conditional on the perceived nature of their involvement. However, research is still lacking when it comes to appreciating the complex and multifaceted nature of women’s involvement in violent political organizations. Moreover, as it has been noted, when it comes to women in conflicts, it: “… has been difficult to determine either the uniqueness of these findings or their generalizability to broader patterns….” This panel aims to engage in discussing forms and types of women’s (formal or informal) involvement in political violence, as well as factors (inhibiting and facilitating) influencing their participation.

Title	Details
Reading agency into the domestic and supportive roles of women in violent political organisations	View Paper Details
The Effects of Gendered and Ethnicised Conscription on Political and Civic Life: The Case of Israeli Circassian and Druze Citizens	View Paper Details
Transitional justice responses to women’s involvement in political violence: comparative insights from Colombia and Northern Ireland	View Paper Details