Throughout all phases of the research, CONNEKT has placed gender as a cross-cutting axis of analysis, ensuring the inclusion of young women and girls, and adopting a gender lens (Steans, 1998) in the analysis, with the aim to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the drivers of radicalisation and VE. The participatory approach has engaged youth and women in the process of research, discussion, and design of preventive measures.
This paper’s research has been complemented with the findings of the empirical fieldwork of CONNEKT as well as the inputs and recommendations drawn from the Women’s Forum organised in Tarragona on 5 and 6 July 2023. This forum gathered the voices of women in the understanding of the drivers of radicalisation, analysed the current role of women in the field of VE, and engaged them in the identification of prevention measures and policy recommendations in this regard.
Firstly, existing literature on the connection between gender and VE will be explored in order to pinpoint key gaps in the research based on the results of CONNEKT in the three levels of empirical research. While macro-and meso-research was conducted through interviews and focus groups, micro-research was conducted through a survey exercise. All activities were implemented in the eight countries under study, and gender considerations (gender-balance among participants, researchers, as well as context-based gender sensitivities) were a priority.
The second part of the paper identifies the main challenges of incorporating a gender dimension into preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), mapping different policy recommendations and identifying areas of improvement for the critical integration of gender into P/CVE.
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