Chechen Female Suicide Bombers: Who and Why

Citation:

Dronzina, Tatyana, and Vadim V. Astashin. 2007. “Chechen Female Suicide Bombers: Who and Why.” Journal of Human Security 3 (1): 30–44. doi:10.3316/JHS0301030.

Authors: Tatyana Dronzina, Vadim V. Astashin

Abstract:

It is commonly accepted that Chechen women acting as suicide bombers are part of the rebel movement in the Caucasus. They kill themselves voluntarily or for revenge. What are the motivating factors for such suicide missions? What kind of connection exists between Islamic suicide terrorism in the Middle East and in Chechnya? Is the Chechen phenomenon unique? Who recruits Chechen women for suicide terrorist attacks? Does a typical portrait of these women exist? Data were drawn from open security service sources, newspapers, news agencies, interviews, and special investigations by Russian and foreign journalists. They provide answers based on the life-stories of most women who acted as suicide bombers, imbedded in a chronology of the major terrorist attack in the Russian Federation, and its consequences.

Topics: Gender, Women, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Non-State Armed Groups, Violence Regions: Asia, Europe Countries: Russian Federation

Year: 2007