Female Jihadis

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Why has Tunisia, widely considered an Arab Spring ‘success story’, seen such an explosion in violent Islamism among its women?

This book probes the phenomenon of Tunisian women recruited for jihad, post–Arab Spring. In the aftermath of the Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia—which is often deemed to have been the most successful country in its democratic transition, and which has a long history of relative gender equality—has nevertheless played host to the mass enlistment of hundreds of women as jihadists. What explains this paradox?

While much has been written about the notable presence of Tunisian female fighters in conflict zones such as Syria, we know very little about these women’s backgrounds or what drove them to join up. Through the biographies of thirty jihadist militants, Leila Ben Mcharek shines a light on the back-stories of such Tunisian women, and analyses their motivations, recruitment patterns and roles within jihadist organisations, both within and outside Tunisia.

Given the country’s transition after the Arab Spring, and the various challenges this has posed, Ben Mcharek also provides an overview of the broader political and social context of these mobilisations. Her study is an indispensable contribution to our understanding of the processes by which women, and especially Tunisian women, may become members of violent and radical Islamist groups.