Behind the Veil: A Study of Chechen Black Widows' Web

Abstract

Why is the proportion of female terrorist attacks in Chechnya high compared to the rest of the world? Chechnya has undergone years of trauma, and a number of Chechen females, labeled “black widows,” have attempted to enact social justice through terrorism. however, why is it that fewer females are engaged in terrorist attacks in other war-stricken parts of the world? To explain why Chechnya is an outlier in this respect, this article will analyze Chechen terrorism on the individual, organizational, and strategic levels and then compare these findings to the terrorist dynamics of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. This comparison will allow the reader to gain a better understanding of the types of environments that are more likely to foster female participation in terrorist attacks.