You are talking specifically about women's death battalions, but in general there were more of them. Often this was the name given to "Ударные части" that were distinguished by the highest discipline and morale and, in addition to conducting combat operations, could "help" with discipline and morale in other units and armies.
Moreover, they were initially introduced in the imperial army in 1916. Part of the powers of these "death battalions" then included the capture and execution of deserters, panic-mongers and anti-war agitators. Naturally, after the February Revolution, the number, effectiveness and powers of such battalions decreased, but in essence they were anti-retreat forces.
This is important in the context of the beginning of the civil war, since many highly disciplined soldiers were Kornilovites (or sympathizers), "patriots" of imperial Russia, and later joined the White Army. Although they were few in number relative to the bulk of the soldiers, they were extremely combat-ready compared to the still-forming Red Guard and Red Army.