The Fate of Female Fighters: A Comprehensive Analysis on Challenges to Reintegration

Although the large majority of combatants in rebel groups are men, a significant number are women.

Research shows that about 40% of rebel groups have women combatants at the frontline and identifies factors related to both supply and demand as determinants for when female combatants join. But what happens to female combatants when war ends? For a female combatant, the move from armed conflict to post-conflict reintegration constitutes a critical juncture.

Yet, we lack systematic knowledge about their fate.

The project will assess to what extent, and under what conditions, these groups of women successfully reintegrate back into society, or meet severe obstacles to reintegration.

These conditions will be explored at different levels and types, e.g. related to psychological health, livelihood issues, and stigma, drawing on the benefits of a mixed methods design.

The analysis will involve statistical analysis of a new global dataset, with information on the fate of female fighters in a comprehensive set of rebel groups.

This analysis will be complemented with in-depth study of post-conflict Nepal, combining life history and focus groups interviews with female ex-combatants.

Previous work suggests that there are severe consequences if female former fighters are not reintegrated in post-conflict society – for societies, households, and the women themselves. This study thus aims to contribute with knowledge of relevance to both peace research and policy.