Brides of the Islamic State

Beginning in 2012, dozens of girls and women traveled to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State (IS), becoming brides of Islamic State fighters. While some traveled willingly, others were brought to Iraq and Syria as minors by their parents or family or forcefully.

Many of those women subsequently acquired high public profiles, either through their efforts to recruit more volunteers, or when they died or because they recanted and wished to return to their home countries. Commentators noted that it would be hard to differentiate between the women who played an active role in atrocities and those who were housewives.