Women in Conflict: The Psychological Effect of Propaganda in Conflict

In conflicts across the world, propaganda is used to encourage people to support causes whether than be freedom, revolution, or political or economic changes. Previous research has shown that propaganda that targets preexisting notions is particularly effective. Women have been found to be particularly susceptible to propaganda that has emotional implications. My research has been conducted to discover if propaganda that is centered around female empowerment is more effective in getting women to participate in conflict. I use accounts from women participating in conflicts to learn about the roles they play, and the number of women involved. These numbers are then compared with the types of propaganda found in the specific conflicts and countries. My findings show that propaganda is indeed more successful when it empowers oppressed groups, especially women. Additional research in more modern conflicts shows that social media will be crucial in conflicts moving forward as it provides a quick and easy way to spread the empowering propaganda and accompanying messages