This policy brief examines how gender bias shapes assessments of the threat posed by women affiliated with Da’esh (i.e., the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), arguing that women’s agency and involvement in terrorism are frequently underestimated. Drawing on existing research and practitioner insights, the paper documents the wide range of roles women have played within Da’esh, including recruitment, enforcement, intelligence support, and operational activity.
The analysis highlights how conflating women with children and relying on gendered media narratives can distort threat assessments and undermine evidence-based counter-terrorism practice. It demonstrates that treating gender as either an explanatory or mitigating factor risks both under- and over-estimating women’s potential involvement in future violent activity.
The paper concludes by calling for the integration of gender analysis into threat assessment tools, practitioner training, and criminal justice responses, emphasising that effective rehabilitation, prosecution, and reintegration strategies require assessments based on individual behaviour and capability rather than gendered assumptions.