Women in Extremist Networks: Their Power, Authority, and "Alpha Female" Roles

Women’s participation in violent extremist networks has frequently been depicted through narratives of victimization, coercion, or passive endorsement. This article contests reductionist narratives by analyzing female agency and authority within extremist networks in Indonesia. Utilizing qualitative analysis of seven female profiles obtained from law enforcement and case documents, the study examines the extent and manner in which women exert influence beyond conventional supportive roles. Employing an analytically grounded definition of ‘alpha female’ (female actors who exert ideological influence, relational authority, and/or operational facilitation, and shape the behavior or commitment of others beyond traditional supportive roles), the findings indicate significant variation in women’s roles. The study delineates three specific categories: (1) dependent subject whose engagement was ideologically committed yet non-influential; (2) partial alpha females (facilitative/amplificatory), and (3) full alpha females (ideological or mobilizational) who influence or direct others' involvement. The results show that women can be key players in extremist networks by teaching, organizing, and providing infrastructure. These findings improve Bloom's gendered pathways by showing that female agency can progress from relational alignment to autonomous authority. They build on Pearson's distinction between participation and authority by empirically describing how influence manifests in ideological and infrastructural domains. The concept of the alpha female thus serves as a typological tool for distinguishing between influence and involvement. Recognizing varied types of female authority has immediate ramifications for counter-extremism strategy: ignoring women's network-shaping responsibilities risks misidentifying important points of mobilization and ideological replication. This article, therefore, may help in enhancing the comprehension of women's roles in extremism, thereby providing insights for gender-sensitive counter-extremism research and policy.

Terrorism; extremism; women; violence; psychology; alpha female

1. Asiyah, Udji. Prasetyo, Ratna Azis. Sudjak, Sudjak. “Jihad Perempuan dan Terorisme.” Jurnal Sosiologi Agama, 14(1), 2020. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Atabik, Ahmad. Muhtador, Moh. “Jihad and Interpretation of Religious Texts on Female Terrorists in Indonesia.” QIJIS (Qudus International Journal of Islamic Studies), 11(1), 2023. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Azca, Muhammad Najib. Putri, Rani Dwi. “Perempuan dan Peran Regenerasi dalam Lingkaran Ekstremisme Kekerasan: Narasi dari Indonesia Timur.” Jurnal Sosiologi Agama, 15(2), 2021. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Berger, J.M. Extremism. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2018. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Bigio, Jamille. Vogelstein, Rachel B. “Women and Terrorism.” Council on Foreign Relations, 2019. Available at: https://www.cfr.org/reports/women-and-terrorism [Last seen 23.06.2026]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bloom, Mia. Bombshell: Women and Terrorism. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. BP, Gega Ryani Cahya Kurnia. Sukabdi, Zora A. “Salience Identity of Women in Terrorism.” Gender Equality: International Journal of Child and Gender Studies, 7(2), 2021. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Chaerunnisa, Luq Yana. Hakim, Muhammad Alif. “Women and Terrorism: An Interdisciplinary Study of Peace Building Education.” At-Tarbawi: Jurnal Kajian Kependidikan Islam, 8(1), 2023. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Chaerunnisa, Luq Yana. Nasution, Khoiruddin. “Bina Damai Keterlibatan Perempuan dalam Aksi Terorisme: Pendekatan Interdisipliner dan Multidisipliner.” Dirasat Islamiah: Jurnal Kajian Keislaman, 4(1), 2025. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Harjanti, Priscilla. Hanita, Margaretha. Daryanto, Eko. “Mengintegrasikan Peran Gender Dalam Analisis Intelijen Strategis: Partisipasi Perempuan Dalam Kelompok Teroris Di Indonesia.” Syntax Literate: Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 8(7), 2023, 4771–4783. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kasanah, Nur. “Perempuan dalam Jerat Terorisme: Analisis Motivasi Pelaku Bom Bunuh Diri di Indonesia.” Indonesian Journal of Gender Studies (IJouGS), 2(2), 2021. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Kemenerian Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Perlindungan Anak Republik Indonesia. “Kemen PPPA Perkuat Koordinasi dan Dorong Implementasi Pedoman Teknis Perlindungan Anak dari Jaringan Terorisme.” Available at: https://kemenpppa.go.id/index.php/siaran-pers/kemen-pppa-perkuat-koordinasi-dan-dorong-implementasi-pedoman-teknis-perlindungan-anak-dari-jaringan-terorisme [Last seen 23.06.2026]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Khalil, Lydia. “Behind the Veil: Women in Jihad after the Caliphate.” Lowy Institute, 2019. Available at: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/behind-veil-women-jihad-after-caliphate [Last seen 23.06.2026]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Macfarlane, Kate. “Indonesian Women and Terrorism: An Analysis of Historical and Contemporary Trends.” Politics and Governance, 12, 2024. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Mujahid, Dhestina Religia. “Pergeseran Peran Perempuan dalam Aksi Terorisme di Indonesia.” Jurnal Studi Gender dan Anak, 9(2), 2023. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Nanda Permana, Aulya. “Empowered by Extremes: Indonesian Women in Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Jemaah Ansharut Daulat (JAD).” Security Intelligence Terrorism Journal, 2(4), 2025. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. National Commission on Health Research Ethics. (2017). National Guidelines for Health Research Ethics. Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. NATO. “Countering Terrorism.” Available at: https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/deterrence-and-defence/countering-terrorism [Last seen 23.06.2026]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Ningsih, Dyah Aryati Nugraha. Timur, Fauzia Gustarina Cempaka. Sutanto, Rudy. “The Role of Women in Organizations Terrorism: Gender Dynamics in the Context of Ideology and Violence.” Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 3(5), 2024. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Pearson, Elizabeth. “Extremism and Toxic Masculinity: The Man Question Re-Posed.” International Affairs, 95(6), 2019. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Purba, Chelsea Amelia. Syauqillah, Muhamad. “Analisis Kausalitas dan Probabilitas Faktor Penyebab Terorisme Perempuan dan Anak: Korban atau Pelaku?” IJD-Demos, 4(4), 2022. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Qori’ah, Sityi Maesarotul. “Keterlibatan Perempuan dalam Aksi Terorisme di Indonesia.” Sawwa: Jurnal Studi Gender, 14(1), 2019. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Quanandi, Jodi. Kertopati, Susaningtyas N.H. Timur, Fauzia Gustarina Cempaka. “Keterlibatan dan Pola Pergerakan Teroris Perempuan dalam Jaringan Terorisme di Indonesia.” Journal of Education, Humaniora and Social Sciences, 5(2), 2022. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Ritonga, Sakti. Riza, Faisal. Jailani, Muhammad. Desky, Ahmed Fernanda. “Keluarga Muslim, Perempuan dan Radikalisme di Sumatera Utara.” Turast: Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengabdian, 11(1), 2023. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Security Council Report. “West Africa and the Sahel.” Available at: http://securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2025-04/west-africa-and-the-sahel-14.php [Last seen 23.06.2026]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Veronika, N.W. “Poor, Brainwashed and Immature: Prevalent Gender Stereotypes in Indonesian Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) and Counterterrorism (CT) Efforts.” Critical Studies on Terrorism, 18(1), 2025. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Yanti, Januarti Lista Rita. “Keterlibatan Perempuan sebagai Pelaku Utama dalam Aksi Terorisme di Kawasan Asia Tenggara.” Jurnal PIR: Power in International Relations, 9(1), 2024. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Yarrow, Emma. “Gendering Security: The Roles of Young Women and Girls in Terrorism and in Countering Violent Extremism.” In Greenbaum, Charles W., Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M., and Hamilton, Carolyn (Eds.), Handbook of Political Violence and Children: Psychosocial Effects, Intervention, and Prevention Policy. 2021. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study