Female suicide bombers

From resistance struggles to suicide attacks, women have fought and killed throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

We ask why do they do it, and what impact does it have?

Women have long been willing to risk their lives and use violence for their cause, from French resistance fighters in World War II to plane hijackers in the 1970s.

But it is the rise in the number of female suicide bombers that has caused widespread debate.

Tamil Tiger women, for example, have carried out around 200 suicide attacks – the most famous was the one that killed Rajiv Gandhi, India’s prime minister.

And worryingly, experts say the number of female suicide bombers has increased since the first case 23 years ago.
 

What motivates women to take their lives in a single destructive act?

The first Palestinian female suicide bomber was Wafa Idriss, a young paramedic who was hailed as a hero when she blew herself up in Jerusalem six year ago.

Now Israeli sources say more and more Palestinian women are being recruited.

Everywoman met one activist who says becoming a suicide bomber is her only choice.
 

Our guests this week to discuss these issues with presenter Shiulie Ghosh are counter-terrorism expert Farhana Ali from the Rand corporation and Lama Hourani from the International Women’s Commission in Palestine.

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This episode of Everywoman aired from Friday, April 11, 2008

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