When Are Female Suicide Bombings More Likely? The Case of Boko Haram

Abstract

Abstract This research delineates the conditions more conducive to the use of female suicide bombings through a detailed analysis of attacks carried out by Boko Haram. Using a novel dataset of 473 suicide attacks, the study finds that females are more likely to be deployed against non-religious civilian targets. Further, fragmentation of the group increases the likelihood of more female suicide bombers as different factions seek to outbid one another. Third, the expectation of extensive and favorable coverage in non-local (Western) media sources increases the odds of female suicide attacks.