Introducing the Women’s Activities in Armed Rebellion (WAAR) project, 1946–2015

Abstract

This article introduces the Women’s Activities in Armed Rebellion (WAAR) project, a multi-methods project that includes a cross-sectional dataset of women’s participation in more than 370 organizations fighting in civil conflicts between 1946 and 2015. The dataset features 22 measures of women’s participation in rebel organizations: it includes prevalence and presence measures of women’s participation in combat, non-combat and leadership roles; details on all-female units within groups (and their primary focus – combat or support activities); and presence measures for types of support work (disaggregated into clandestine work, outreach to civilian populations and logistical support) and types of leadership activities (military or non-military) that women contribute. The WAAR project also includes a detailed, qualitative assessment of women’s involvement in each organization, comprising an approximately 360-page handbook of female rebel participation in the post-WWII period. This article describes the WAAR project and suggests avenues for future research leveraging these data.

Kadınların Şiddetteki Rolü ve Birleşmiş Milletler’in Kadın, Barış ve Güvenlik Gündemi

“…However, the evidence shows that the positive relationship between women and peace is far from being monotonic, linear, or universal. Research demonstrates that women participate in political violence in various roles, including as state military officers or members of rebel groups (Wood and Thomas, 2018;Loken and Matfess, 2023). Women have been involved in war crimes, wartime rape, suicide attacks, and guerrilla fighting in different societies, from Japan and Ireland to Rwanda and Sri Lanka (Brockes, 2009;Sjoberg and Gentry, 2007;Loken, 2022;Cohen, 2013;Sharlach, 1999;Karcher, 2013;Gonzalez Perez, 2008;Alison, 2003) However, even when women actively engage in violence, it has been often attributed to mental illness, despair, or being influenced by their male relatives, rather than being recognized as an intentional, political, or purposeful act (Eager 2016).…”

“…It is estimated that around 40% of rebel groups worldwide recruit women combatants (Wood and Thomas, 2017). This ratio increases to around 65% when we include women participating in rebel groups in supportive roles, such as spying, arms delivery, and propaganda (Loken and Matfess, 2023).…”

“…Women join these groups for various reasons, including ideology, politics, economics, group characteristics or personal motivations aligned with the group's goals (see Asal and Jadoon, 2020;Parkinson, 2013;Thomas and Bond, 2015;Thomas and Wood, 2018;Viterna, 2006;Henshaw, 2019). The distinction between voluntary and coerced recruitment is not always clear-cut, as even those forcibly recruited may exhibit some level of autonomy within the groups, while voluntary participation can be influenced by material incentives, limited outside options, or strong social and familial pressures (Loken and Matfess, 2023). Understanding women's agential decisions to join rebel organizations is crucial for comprehending the gender dynamics of armed insurgencies.…”

“…Acknowledging this would encourage policymakers to include gender as a core issue in the national security agenda, implement policies that can mitigate violence caused by the gendered strategies of armed groups, and provide the international community with a more gender-equal framework that does not reproduce essentialist stereotypes.5 It is important to note that these factors do not constitute an exclusive list of why women participate in armed groups, and that there are number of pull push factors leading women to join these groups. SeeThomas (2017) andLoken and Meredith (2023) for a broader review.…”

“… See Wood and Thomas, 2017;Loken and Matfess, 2023, for an exhaustive list of countries where female militancy is observed.…”