The Election of Former Female Fighters (Pre-Recorded)

• In Event: Female Fighters in Combat and on the Ballot

Abstract

Existing research suggests that after conflict female combatants experience significant marginalization. They are likely to be excluded from formal demobilization, disarmament, and rehabilitation (DDR) programs and to face severe discrimination for their violent engagement. Yet, research has also demonstrated that former rebels frequently transform into political parties and successfully run for elected office, ultimately experiencing the spoils of war. However, these studies have focused on the experiences of men. In this paper, I ask if former female rebels are able to overcome such marginalization to enter into formal politics after war. I argue that women will be most likely to enter elected office after conflict when their wartime participation enabled them to gain relevant skills and experiences that are translatable to public office. I present novel data on the election of former female fighters in a global sample of former rebel parties from 1970-2020 and find significant evidence that rebel women are in fact able to experience the spoils of war and move into politics after conflict. Further, I find that women who had greater levels of agency during war will be most likely to become elected representatives. These findings provide significant nuance to our understanding of the post-conflict fate of former female fighters and breaks from the assumptions that all former female fighters are marginalized after conflict. Rather, these findings suggest that when presented with the opportunity, former female fighters can build on their wartime experiences.

Author

• Elizabeth L Brannon, Michigan State University