This March, RESOLVE directs the spotlight on gender and women. The What We Are Reading digest features studies on the role of gender and women in violent extremism,  P/CVE, and peace processes. The publications analyze the implications of returning foreign fighters, questions of statelessness and radicalization, possibilities of counter-messaging against ISIS propaganda targeting women, and the workings of the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ). Click the links to read more.

“A short history of Kurdish women on the front lines” The Economist, March 22, 2018. https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/03/22/a-short-history-of-kurdish-women-on-the-front-lines 

Ahmadi, Belquis. “Afghanistan Talks: No Women, No Peace” USIP,  March 1, 2019. https://www.usip.org/publications/2019/03/afghanistan-talks-no-women-no-peace 

Audrey Alexander. “Perspectives on the future of women, gender, and violent extremism” George Washington University Program on Extremism, February 2019. https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/Perspectives%20on%20the%20Future%20of%20Women%2C%20Gender%20and%20Violent%20Extremism.pdf 

Bond, Kanisha D. et al.“The West Needs to Take the Politics of Women in ISIS Seriously” Foreign Policy,  March 4, 2019. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/04/the-west-needs-to-take-the-politics-of-women-in-isis-seriously/ 

Bouvier, Virginia M. “Gender and the role of women in Colombia’s peace process” UN Women, March 2016. http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2017/women-colombia-peace-process-en.pdf?la=en&vs=17 

Darden, Jessica Trisko. “Female terrorists: On the front lines and behind the scenes” AEI, February 8, 2019. https://www.aei.org/publication/female-terrorists-on-the-frontlines-and-behind-the-scenes/ 

Erdberg, Leanne, and Chris Bosley. “Bring Hoda Muthana and other ISIS members home — but for trial” The Hill, February 27, 2019. https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/431479-bring-hoda-muthana-and-other-isis-members-home-but-for-trial 

Lahoud, Nelly. “Empowerment or subjugation: an analysis of ISIL’s gendered messaging” UN WOMEN, June 2018. http://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20arab%20states/attachments/publications/lahoud-fin-web-rev.pdf?la=en&vs=5602 

Specia, Megan. “ISIS Cases Raise a Question: What Does It Mean to Be Stateless?” New York Times, Feb. 22, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/world/middleeast/isis-shamima-begum-citizenship-stateless.html 

UN CTED Trends Report. “Gender dimensions of the response to returning foreign terrorist fighters: research perspectives” UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, February 2019. https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Feb_2019_CTED_Trends_Report.pdf  

“U.S. Strategy to Support Women and Girls at Risk from Violent Extremism and Conflict” U.S. Department of State, February 13, 2019. https://www.state.gov/s/gwi/priorities/wps/289431.htm