The Islamic State’s mujahidas: From participants to defenders of the caliphate

This work aims to understand how changes in the context in which terrorist organizations operate can impact their strategy and, consequently, affect the way women participate in the group. In order to conduct such an analysis, the author proposes a case study of the Islamic State (IS). The IS’s English-language e-magazines will serve as primary sources of analysis to identify the inclusion of women in the evolution of the group’s narrative from the self-declaration of the Caliphate in 2014 to the publication of the last magazine in 2017. Hence, it will be possible to identify how the historical evolution of the Islamic State and the recent shifts in its status, impacted the way in which women are represented by and participate in the group. The research will contribute to the understanding of the various ways in which women can participate in and collaborate with terrorism. It is significant to note that this subject still remains an understudied topic in literature.