The Real Revolution in Military Affairs (it’s not what you think)

Summary:   one of the most important and least discussed changes in the nature of warfare is who does the fighting.  Women and children acting as soldiers are not unknown in the past, but never with such a large and increasing role.  Their participation changes the very nature of war, with effects today we can only guess at.

Excerpt from  ”Muslim Female Fighters: An Emerging Trend“, Farhana Ali, Terrorism Monitor (3 November 2005):

Muslim women are increasingly joining the global jihad, some motivated by religious conviction to change the plight of Muslims under occupation, and recruited by al-Qaeda and local terrorist groups strained by increased arrests and deaths of male operatives.  Attacks by female fighters, also known as the mujahidaat, are arguably more deadly than those conducted by male jihadists, attributed in part to the perception that women are unlikely to commit such acts of horror, and when they do, the shock or “CNN factor” of their attacks draws far greater media attention than male bombers.  Increasing awareness with instant media attention can motivate other women to commit similar attacks.

Farhana Ali is an Associate International Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation. She has done extensive research on jihadist networks and religious extremism.

Women combatants appear in many of today’s conflicts around the world.  Recent examples include Middle East suicide bombers, soldiers and officers in western armies, and fighters in the Eritrean War for independence from Ethiopia.  With few historical precedents, except in near-mythological tales, the appearance of women in combat represents a real revolution in military affairs.

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