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When Civilians Are Attacked: Gender Equality and Terrorist Targeting

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  • Laura Huber

Abstract

While scholars demonstrate a consistent negative relationship between gender equality and violence, the effect of women’s rights on the quality of terrorism and the type of victims targeted remains unexplored. This article introduces a new model of terrorists’ strategic targeting by examining the trade-off between the ease of a civilian-oriented attack and the negative public reaction these attacks invoke. Within this framework, gender equality increases the costs of civilian targeting by inducing public opinion costs. As gender equality increases, the costs of attacking civilians increase relatively more than government-oriented attacks. Using data on domestic terrorism between 1970 and 2007 and a subnational examination of a randomly implemented gender quota in India, this study demonstrates that as gender equality increases, the ratio of civilian-oriented to government-oriented attacks decreases. Overall, this study refines our understanding of terrorists’ strategic targeting and identifies heterogeneity in the Women, Peace, and Security theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Huber, 2019. "When Civilians Are Attacked: Gender Equality and Terrorist Targeting," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 63(10), pages 2289-2318, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jocore:v:63:y:2019:i:10:p:2289-2318
    DOI: 10.1177/0022002719835601
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Diego A. Martin & Dario A. Romero, 2023. "Pretending to be the Law: Violence to Reduce the COVID-19 Outbreak," CID Working Papers 155a, Center for International Development at Harvard University.

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