Until then, there was little information about the role of women in armed groups Boko Haram and Katiba Macina, but a recent study by the Institute of Studies and Security (ISS) looked at the subject. They collected many testimonies from men and women who were or had been associated with the armed groups Boko Haram in Niger and Katiba Macina in Mali.
Far from the clichés of the submissive woman who is forced to develop on the margins of groups such as Boko Haram and Katiba Macina, the study shows that women are often proactive in these circles without being part of the decision-making bodies.
Of course, there are cases of forced recruitment, but according to the researchers who performed study, this may not be enough to explain the presence of these women in these groups. There are many other factors to keep in mind when it comes to explaining why these women join these groups.
A variety of reasons
There are family factors, finding a son or a husband, financial factors to protect a business or protect yourself. The study, which was based on many testimonies, also raises reasons related to revenge after the loss of a loved one, killed by the defense and security forces.
On the other hand, women are not necessarily on board with the fighters. They often stay in the villages and support the group’s logistics: in Mali, for example, they are often the ones looking for the fertilizer needed to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The data documented in the context of this study show very well that they are strategic human resources for these groups.
Jeannine Ella Abatan, ISS researcher on the place of women in armed groups
.
