College of Arts & Sciences

Kejsi Shahaj College of Arts & Sciences Political Science, Communication

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amelia Hoover Green Politics

Women combatants, recruitment rhetoric, and post-war livelihoods in three revolutionary forces

A large social science literature examines the role of women combatants in armed conflict. This research typically examines the recruitment of women in terms of group strategy or individual women’s socioeconomic situations. Here, I examine in depth the recruitment processes themselves, specifically the different promises that groups make about improving the condition of women after the war. I find that female combatants often view participation in armed violence as a step towards their own personal liberation in society. I ask: How do the recruitment methods armed groups use to lure women affect their status post-war? Are they happy with these outcomes? Examining these factors is vital, since armed groups often play a central role in post-war politics and society. This study will examine and ask these questions of three armed groups: the FMLN in El Salvador, the PKK in Turkey, and the LTTE in Sri Lanka.