"This thesis investigates the evolving role of women in jihadist terrorism, focusing on the impact of digital radicalization across Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as its primary theoretical and methodological framework, the study explores how online narratives and representations contribute to the construction, legitimization, and normalization of women's involvement in jihadist activities. Women, traditionally viewed as peripheral or passive supporters within extremist networks, are increasingly emerging as active agents in the dissemination of propaganda, recruitment strategies, and ideological framing. Through digital platforms, women have found new spaces to assert influence, transforming them into key nodes in the global jihadist ecosystem. This shift is particularly evident in the context of ISIS and affiliated movements, which strategically mobilize gender narratives to recruit women and leverage their roles in both overt and covert operations. Drawing on qualitative data, including online texts, jihadist media, and public discourse from the mainstream press and official statements, this thesis uses CDA to examine how extremist groups frame female jihadists in ways that reinforce or challenge dominant gender ideologies. It also examines how governments and media across the region construct counternarratives that often reproduce stereotypical images of women as victims, rather than as ideologically motivated actors. By bridging feminist security studies with discourse analysis, this research reveals the interplay between language, ideology, and power in shaping perceptions of women in terrorism. It argues that a more nuanced, gender-aware, and regionally contextualized approach to counterterrorism is needed to effectively address women's evolving role in digital jihadist movements.
This thesis investigates the evolving role of women in jihadist terrorism, focusing on the impact of digital radicalization across the regions of Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as its primary theoretical and methodological framework, the study explores how online narratives and representations contribute to the construction, legitimation, and normalization of female involvement in jihadist activities. Women, traditionally viewed as peripheral or passive supporters within extremist networks, are increasingly emerging as active agents in propaganda dissemination, recruitment strategies, and ideological framing. Through digital platforms, women have found new spaces to assert influence transforming themselves into key nodes within global jihadist ecosystems. This shift is especially evident in the context of ISIS and affiliated movements, which strategically mobilize gendered narratives to recruit women and leverage their roles in both visible and covert operations. Drawing on qualitative data, including online texts, jihadist media, and public discourse from mainstream press and official statements, this thesis uses CDA to examine how extremist groups frame female jihadists in ways that reinforce or challenge dominant gender ideologies. It also investigates how governments and media in different regions construct counter-narratives that often reproduce stereotypical images of women as victims, rather than as ideologically motivated actors. By bridging feminist security studies with discourse analysis, the research reveals the interplay between language, ideology, and power in shaping perceptions of women in terrorism. It argues that more nuanced, gender-aware, and regionally contextualized counterterrorism approaches are necessary to effectively address the growing role of women in digital jihadist movements."
Depok: Fakultas Ilmu Keperawatan Universitas Indonesia, 2025
