This report explores how gender perspectives - particularly those grounded in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda - can be more effectively integrated into responses to online extremism. Drawing on principles from Feminist Security Studies, it examines how gender shapes both violent extremist uses of technology and the forms of harm experienced by women and other marginalised groups in digital spaces.
The report outlines key feminist analytical frameworks relevant to extremism and technology, including broad conceptions of violence, intersectionality, scepticism toward state-centric responses, and the interconnected nature of security and development. Applying these principles, it analyses three gendered dynamics of online violent extremism: the facilitation of physical and sexual violence through digital platforms; gendered patterns of online recruitment by extremist groups; and the rise of semiotic violence, including online harassment and intimidation aimed at silencing women. It demonstrates how these dynamics intersect with all pillars of the WPS agenda, while highlighting gaps in current policy and practice - particularly the limited application of WPS frameworks to technology-focused counter-extremism efforts.
The report concludes by calling for stronger political will, civil society engagement, and gender-responsive approaches to address the full spectrum of gendered harms in online violent extremist environments.