Young Writers Society

Hello, all. I joined a few hours back, and I just came across this spot a few minutes ago. I've been working on a plot idea I've had and would like to know if anyone has any facts about female terrorists or females leading terrorist organizations. Just the psychology end of terrorism alone would be helpful... if by any chance someone has interest in psychology and knows. All I know about female terrorists is nada from reading the book Black Sunday by Thomas Harris.

I'm interested in psychology, but I like to think that I can think of explanations to everything via mental state.
Basically, terrorism works generally in which a certain radical group decides that, in order to get what they want, they invoke terror. That is the basics. So, you've got a 'greater good' principle, which is justification for everything that is done after this decision. So, it's generally 'I'm right in whatever I do, because it's for the sake of my belief'.
Female terrorists mostly become terrorists out of things like (looks this up on Internet):
-Wanting to improve social level
-Avenging a brother, father, husband, etc. who was killed for this cause
-Being relatives of a terrorist
-Proof that they too believe in the cause as well as men.
So, female terrorists try to get their way by terror, and usually get into it via a) following their family, or b) showing that women can join the cause too, and can be better.

Thank you for that.
I was also wondering if there was ever any talk of a woman leading a terrorist organization. I was under the impression that killing was more personal for a woman (this is just a book I read about serial killers talking) than it is for a man, hence why most serial killers are men. I'm not sure if that counts here.

Well, female terrorist faction leaders include:
Ulrike Meinhof, a founding member of the Red Army Faction, in Germany. The first generation of the group was called the 'Baader-Meinhof Gang' (Baader was another founder).
Brigitte Monhaupt, a leader of the second generation of the Red Army Faction. Involved in some of the most serious crimes of that generation.
Fushiko Shigenobu, leader of the Japanese Red Army. Called one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world.

I'm not sure about the 'women more personal killers' thing. Have to look into that.

All I know about how personal it is, is just from one book, so I'm going to check that one out too.

At first, I was thinking I'd find next to none on women terrorists because they're not usually in the news. Thank you, though. If you ever have any more information that you just remembered, could send it to this thread?

I've also come across a Palestinian female terrorist, Leila Khaled, and Phoolan Devi, an Indian "bandit queen" and freedom fighter, who could be considered a terrorist (although I haven't read much about each to compare). Both I found in a book called Bad Girls, by Jan Stradling, which has the most powerful and dangerous women of all time.

Thanks, Rosey Unicorn. I'll check into that book.