Hedayah publishes volume on the role of women in preventing and countering violent extremism

Hedayah, the International Centre of Excellency for Countering Violent Extremism, in cooperation with the Global Centre on Cooperative Security, has released a collection of short essays from various perspectives reflecting on the questions of what roles women play in terrorism, violent extremism and efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism.

The publication, entitled, 'A Man’s World? Exploring the Roles of Women in Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism' was released on April 4th and draws on the experiences from diverse fields of practice, including development and human rights, media and advocacy, academia, and conflict prevention and mitigation. The publication also summarises some of the main lessons learned and good practices, as well as recommends ways forward in terms of countering violent extremism (CVE) programmes and policies with respect to integrating women’s roles in these efforts.

Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Hedayah Steering Board, stressed the importance of the publication and said that the essays contain analysis of the international frameworks for women in preventing and countering violent extremism including UN Security Council Resolution 1325 as well as the UN Action Plan to Prevent Violent Extremism. "Several essays capture lessons learned and good practice from conflict prevention and development work in Nigeria and Afghanistan. Several of the essays also reflect on the roles of women in terrorist organisations such as Dae’sh," he said.

In the publication's foreword, Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, UAE Ambassador to the United Nations, and Ambassador Melanne Verveer, First US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, wrote, "This volume, compiled by Hedayah and the Global Centre on Cooperative Security, offers the reader a unique vantage point into this emerging topic. We believe this is an important contribution to a nascent, but growing, area of study and hope it will mobilise both men and women to work for peace and equality, and continue to assist in the fight against extremism."

Source:WAM