New international research sheds light on the role played by women terrorists linked to the terrorist outfit IS. An analysis of 283 court verdicts in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands reveals the scale of women’s involvement.
By the summer of 2023 some 100 women were registered in Belgium’s terrorist database. All of them were associated with jihadist terrorism.
20 per cent of the 430 Belgians who travelled to Syria or Iraq from 2012 onwards to join IS were women. Some women soon returned, others stayed until the fall of the caliphate.
An international phenomenon
Worldwide, an estimated 1 in 5 foreigners who travelled to the caliphate were women. IS created an image of a caliphate that resembled paradise. This was an image that apparently also had a high appeal for women.
The role of women in IS varied widely. In some cases, their role was limited to motherhood and bearing children in order to grow the caliphate. Others had active roles as nurses, jailers or members of the religious police, but women were also enlisted in IS propaganda and recruitment.
120 court rulings
The researchers analysed hundreds of judgments and decisions. Thomas Renard, the Belgian researcher and coordinator of the entire study, took a close look at 120 judicial rulings. They include all Belgian terrorism cases between 2012 and 2022 dealt with by the federal public prosecutor's office in which women were on trial.
A striking difference with the men!
The research shows the very young age of the women: 25 years on average. Most hold Belgian nationality, a limited number dual Belgian and Moroccan nationality. It is striking, however, that only three of them had previous convictions. This differs greatly from the men. About half of all male terrorists convicted already had a criminal record before they committed terrorism offences.
The study also dispenses with the notion that women who went to the caliphate were innocent will-less victims. Most women knew perfectly well what IS stood for and also supported its violent ideology. Many actively propagated it and often recruited new members from their families.
What was their role?
Most Belgian IS women in Syria and Iraq provided logistical support within the terrorist organisation. Only two cases are known of Belgian women who received terrorist training.
What sentences did they get?
Of the 120 Belgian cases involving women a conviction followed in the vast majority of cases. Only 11 cases saw acquittals. Most women were convicted of membership of a terrorist organisation. That carries a maximum sentence of five years. There is one exception: the file of Fatima A. She was accused of being the leader of a terrorist organisation and received a 15-year prison sentence.