WOMEN, GIRLS AND ISLAMIST EXTREMISM

The document argues that simplistic stereotypes, such as the 'jihadi bride' narrative, fail to capture the complex motivations of women and girls radicalised to Islamist extremism. It identifies key drivers including the appeal of 'sisterhood', a desire for purpose, perceived religious duty, and reactions to social discrimination. The toolkit recommends a gender-sensitive, multi-agency approach to intervention, emphasizing trust-building, person-centred care, and the avoidance of gender biases. It details the UK's Channel programme and the Dutch 'Safety House' model as primary frameworks for these interventions.

• The 'jihadi bride' label is an unhelpful and reductive framing that ignores the complexity of female motivations and reinforces the bias that women are passive followers rather than active ideological supporters.
• Radicalisation for women and girls is driven by a complex set of factors, including the emotional bond of 'sisterhood', a desire to find meaningful purpose, perceived religious duty (especially among converts and older women), and a rebellion against the perceived monotony of traditional life.
• Social abuse, prejudice, and discrimination against female Muslims in Western societies contribute to radicalisation, as some women seek to escape these experiences or reject Western ideals of female empowerment in favour of manipulated Islamist rhetoric.
• ISIS recruiters use highly personalised and tailored tactics, spending significant time assessing the individual desires and ambitions of women and girls to adapt their approach on a case-by-case basis.
• Female Islamist networks linked to ISIS are generally loosely structured with overlaps between online and offline groups, where hierarchy is based on commitment, theological knowledge, and the status of their contacts or husbands.
• The roles of women in ISIS networks have evolved to include recruitment, fundraising, and the spreading of media content, with a noted shift in the UK toward women's involvement in violent acts.
• Effective interventions require a multi-agency approach that avoids gender stereotypes, employs 'ecomaps' to understand a candidate's social network, and focuses on building trust through active listening and person-centred dialogue.
• The UK's Channel programme and the Dutch 'Safety House' (Veiligheidshuis) model both utilize multi-agency frameworks to assess vulnerability and provide holistic support, though they differ in their referral mechanisms.

APA

Colliver, C., de Leede, S., Parker, L., Masieh, H., Skellett, R., Augeri, A., & Moeyens, C. (2019). WOMEN, GIRLS AND ISLAMIST EXTREMISM. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ISD-Toolkit-English-Final-25-10-19.pdf

Chicago

Colliver, Chloe, Seran de Leede, Lucie Parker, Hadiya Masieh, Rebecca Skellett, Alexia Augeri, and Charlotte Moeyens. WOMEN, GIRLS AND ISLAMIST EXTREMISM. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2019. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ISD-Toolkit-English-Final-25-10-19.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Colliver |first1=Chloe |last2=de Leede |first2=Seran |last3=Parker |first3=Lucie |last4=Masieh |first4=Hadiya |last5=Skellett |first5=Rebecca |last6=Augeri |first6=Alexia |last7=Moeyens |first7=Charlotte |title=WOMEN, GIRLS AND ISLAMIST EXTREMISM |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=2019 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ISD-Toolkit-English-Final-25-10-19.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{colliver2019women, author = {Colliver, Chloe and de Leede, Seran and Parker, Lucie and Masieh, Hadiya and Skellett, Rebecca and Augeri, Alexia and Moeyens, Charlotte}, title = {{WOMEN, GIRLS AND ISLAMIST EXTREMISM}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ISD-Toolkit-English-Final-25-10-19.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }