Women without a tactical advantage: Boko Haram's female suicide bombers

Female suicide bombers are increasingly deployed by terror groups, which is often explained by their tactical advantage: women are more likely to reach their targets and tend to generate higher levels of fatalities. However, the women of Boko Haram – the most prolific user of female suicide attackers – lack this tactical advantage. To address this puzzle, we consider the ways in which alternative motivations to deploy female attackers, including logistical and publicity benefits, undercut this tactical advantage. Boko Haram deploys women, in part, because they are viewed as expendable, yet unwilling and undertrained attackers can lead to fewer fatalities. Women also enjoy a publicity benefit, yet greater media attention can diminish the benefits of being an unsuspected perpetrator over time, increasing the chances that women will be intercepted in when carrying out attacks.