Fighting for equality all around; Women threat demographic unnoticed

 “Few government terrorism databases break down data by gender and hardly any security analyses dig into gender-related questions, which creates a gap in terrorism-fighting efforts,” Rachel Vogelstein, the director of the Women and Foreign Policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations told ABC News.             

     One of the most recent terrorist attacks took place at the U.S capitol, a pro-Trump mob went straight through. Two women in particular, were able to pause and record a selfie video, according to Olivia Rubin and Will Steakin from ABC News. “We broke into the Capitol … we got inside, we did our part,” Dawn Bancroft said into her cell phone camera while standing next to Diana Santos-Smith.” 

     “Although authorities have charged hundreds of suspected rioters with participating in the violent insurrection, Bancroft and Santos-Smith are part of a specific, sometimes overlooked demographic that is attracting the attention of experts and lawmakers alike: women,” also states Rubin and Steakin. 

     French teacher, Larissa Arist, says that she doesn’t label herself as a feminist but that she believes in women empowerment. Arist also explained that she had no idea about any of the overlooked women rioters and that she personally doesn’t see it as a big issue. 

     Like Arist, music teacher Katelyn Hemling says, “This is not a topic (women role in riots) I would say I am well versed in at all!” Although Hemling believes she is a strong feminist, “I believe in equality, across the board, and feminism is advocating for equality of the sexes, which I agree with.” 

     “In 2019, a bipartisan group of House members introduced legislation aimed at improving U.S. counterterrorism and peacebuilding efforts by “focusing on women’s roles as victims, perpetrators, and preventers of violent extremism.” The bill would have funded women-led groups countering terrorism efforts, helped train state and Defense Department officials in how to help women counter terrorism in their communities, and supported research into the intersection of women and violent extremism,” says Rubin and Steakin. This bill, however, was never passed. 

     Arist states, “I’m not surprised about anything not passing through Congress.  We have a hyper-partisan situation in Congress and people on one side feel that they appear “weak” by compromising and working together to find solutions.  I find this extremely frustrating personally.” 

     Many feminist advocates don’t actually know about female roles in riots and other violent encounters. Many feel that it isn’t an immediate worry that we aren’t recognizing women as a huge threat. Drama teacher Nancy Green states “Women are typically not violent extremists-of course there are examples always- but the profile is usually white male.” 

     Although the women’s threat seems to be not that high, women are still fighting for equality. Green states, “I do believe that men and other women and a patriarchal society in general sees women as generally inferior to men- again due to the patriarchal society norms. But look at the Amazon Women- way stronger than men….so I do think it’s a cultural thing – the patriarchy.” And  Hemling states “equality with closing the pay gap and career recognition and advancement.”