This chapter examines the gendered impacts of violent extremism across regions and religions, highlighting how extremist actors employ tactics such as forced marriage, restrictions on education and public participation, and systematic sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), all of which escalate insecurity for women and girls. It also reflects women’s perspectives gathered during consultations for the Global Study, noting that while research links gender equality to reduced vulnerability to extremism, women emphasized that their rights should not be securitized or instrumentalized for counter-extremism purposes. Instead, they stressed that women’s rights are intrinsic and that associating them too closely with counter-terrorism agendas risks backlash, increased insecurity, and diminished trust in women’s advocacy.
2015