Invisible Pirates: Women and the Gendered Roles of Somali Piracy

Abstract

Women’s participation in maritime piracy activities has spanned throughout the centuries and across the globe. However, women as perpetrators of contemporary maritime piracy have yet to receive academic attention. Based on ethnographic research conducted in Somalia, this exploratory study expands upon current understandings of Somali piracy by examining four roles women fulfill in the onshore infrastructure: relationship facilitators, resource dealers, care workers, and financial investors. It draws from piracy studies and utilizes a feminist countertopographies approach to analyze how these roles can aid in (re)conceptualizing Somali piracy as a gendered activity that enables the active participation of women.

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