Replication Data for: Magical Practices and the Recruitment of Women into Rebel Groups

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Authors: Nazlı Avdan, Shelby Davis, Michael J. Soules
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Abstract

Magical practices play a central role in the indoctrination and socialization processes of many rebel organizations. Qualitative scholarship has examined the central role that women play as practitioners of magic in some of these organizations. Some women are believed to have the powers to perform various rituals that help protect recipients, as well as enhance their fighting capabilities. Thus, groups that practice magic often incorporate women into logistical support roles because of the unique abilities that women are believed to possess in facilitating the use of magic. However, despite the relationship between magical practices and the incorporation of women that has been observed in various rebel groups, the burgeoning quantitative literature on the recruitment of women into armed movements has largely overlooked this association. To remedy this, we combine data on the magical practices of rebel organizations and their recruitment of women into logistical support roles to better understand this association. We find fairly strong evidence of a positive association between the use of magical practices and the recruitment of women into logistical support roles in rebel organizations.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Gender Security and Conflict Political Conflict and Governance Terrorism Counterterrorism and Political Violence

Publication details

Journal / source
Harvard Dataverse
Publication date
12 January 2026
Document type
Dataset