Women have an important role to play in helping to combat violent extremism, just as they do in every sphere of life. As The National reported yesterday, terror groups such as ISIL are increasingly choosing to target women as part of their recruitment drives, including naming a woman as the leader of a new battalion in northeastern Syria. In another context, because women tend to be the primary caregivers, they are best placed to pick up early signs of their children or their children's friends falling prey to radicalisation.
A report on counter terrorism published by Hedayah and the Global Centre on Cooperative Security, an Abu Dhabi anti-extremism centre, identifies women as being part of the solution to violent extremism, through a multifaceted strategy that will also include political, military and social initiatives.
The report noted that empowering women – whether by encouraging them to speak up when they see others under the sway of radical ideologies or by employing a higher proportion of them in the security services – has to be part of the overarching strategy. As the world knows too well, there is no single silver-bullet solution to the problem of extremism and success will only come from a combined strategy.
The military aspect of this is obvious, and was underscored this weekend by the killing of ISIL's commander in Fallujah, Maher Al Bilawi, and more than 70 militants in air and artillery strikes on the Iraqi city by the US-led coalition. This breakthrough has boosted the Iraqi army's impending operation to retake the city from ISIL control.
The political part includes placing more women in high-level decision making roles. The UAE has reaped the rewards of its policy of empowering women, with a woman running the Federal National Council, and women sitting as judges and serving in the Cabinet.
But more broadly, all women around the world must be encouraged and supported to play their part, regardless of whether they choose to pursue high public office or if they opt for a more traditional domestic role of raising their children. Success against the insidious problem of groups that use violent extremism to achieve the ends will require all of us to play our part.
