This report examines practical challenges in translating high-level P/CVE and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) commitments into effective, gender-responsive programming. It outlines how a narrow focus on women’s empowerment - common in donor policy - may fall short in contexts where broader gender inequalities shape participation in and experiences of violent extremism. To illustrate these gaps, the report draws on lessons from the STRIVE Horn of Africa program (2014-2017), highlighting how underlying masculinities and femininities influence insecurity, radicalization, and engagement with P/CVE initiatives.
Based on this analysis, the report advances six recommendations for strengthening the meaningful inclusion of gender in P/CVE programming: apply gender-responsive approaches across program design, implementation, and evaluation; integrate gender analysis into monitoring and evaluation frameworks; ensure comprehensive and adequately resourced programming; prioritize gender equality rather than focusing solely on women’s empowerment; avoid gender essentialisms; and recognize that youth are not a gender-neutral category.