The Islamic State (Isis) opened a women-only mall in Mosul, Iraq. In under 150 characters Um Anas expressed her praise: “No brothers allowed, this is the Khalifa.”

In another tweet, Umm Muthana brags about her newly acquired car: “Never got my license in Britain, failed it many times haha but here I drive this #IS. You jealous women of Saudi?”

These are the women of Isis, many still in their teens. According to a CNN report, these women and girls are lured to Isis-controlled territory by promises of Nutella and pictures of cute kittens. The report drew ridicule from a number of Isis women on social media. While the claim that kittens and chocolate spread are the new terrorist recruitment tools is ludicrous, it reflects the broader obsession with the phenomenon of western women travelling to Iraq and Syria to become what the media has dubbed “jihadi brides”.

... young western women are also lured by the promise of a politically and religiously pure Islamic society.

Last week, foreign minister Julie Bishop announced that around 40 Australian women had either travelled to or were supporting Isis. Bishop also claimed that these women were joining their foreign fighter husbands or looking to find husbands in Isis, further perpetuating the myth of the “jihadi bride”. The fact is that, while a relationship or marriage to a male Isis fighter facilitates their presence in Isis territories, it is often not the reason they travel. Many have made the decision to travel without the association of husbands or partners (though they may become attached to a male fighter after their arrival). Like the young western men travelling to fight for Isis, young western women are also lured by the promise of a politically and religiously pure Islamic society. Some are also attracted by the promise of adventure.

A study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue entitled Becoming Mulan (a reference to a tweet by a female Isis supporter) found that rather unremarkably, western women who migrate to Isis-controlled territory do so for much the same reasons as men. The report highlights three distinct reasons expressed by women who had travelled to Isis: (1) because they believe that Islam is under attack; (2) because they want to contribute to the building of a new society and establishment of the Caliphate; and (3) because they believe in their individual duty to migrate to the Islamic State and a sense of sisterhood among those who do.

Why should we be surprised that women, as much as men and for many of the same reasons as men, would want to join Isis? After all, women have had a role in conflict for centuries whether in a supportive capacity or as active fighters. Throughout history and across the globe, women have wielded swords, fired guns, donned armour and fought side by side with men. Take for example the teenage Joan of Arc who fought alongside the French military against the occupying English forces in the hundred years war. Or Las Soldaderas: the women who provided assistance and support to the male soldiers in active battle during the Mexican revolution. Though few of them actually engaged in active combat, their contribution to the revolution by providing for the everyday needs of the soldiers is well recognised.

Photograph: Twitter

Even within Islamic tradition, women have featured as warriors. Nusayba bint Ka‘b al-Anṣārīyya, a companion of the prophet Muhammad, took part in the battle of Uhud against the Meccans in 625 and is attributed with shielding the prophet during battle. Khawla bint al-Azwar is also known for her active role in the battle of Yarmuk in 636 against the Byzantines. According to some authors, she was famed for her fighting skills.

One of the reasons the female terrorist phenomenon is so confusing is that, from our western cultural lens, it is difficult to comprehend why young women who have been raised in the west and enjoyed the benefits of women’s rights would want to leave all that equality behind and migrate to a society in which they face the possibility of sexual servitude and oppression. This lens has defined much of the way in which the west has viewed Muslim women throughout history. The culturally inherited stereotype of the oppressed Muslim woman continues to define the way in which Muslim women, and indeed Islam generally, is understood.

In exploring further the phenomenon of the so-called “jihadi brides” we should be aware not to fall back on inherited stereotypes of the angry Muslim man and the oppressed Muslim woman. If indeed we are going to address the issue of western-raised women travelling to Isis, we first need to move beyond stereotypical images of women as victims. We have to recognise their own agency in conflict as well as their complex experiences, not only as fighters, but also in combatting terrorism.