VIEW FROM THE CWP
VIEW FROM THE CWP
WOMEN AGAINST GLOBAL TERRORISM View from the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson Women as accomplices of terrorism It is evident that women are increasingly playing a role in terrorism or at least abetting the crime. The war on terror has restricted freedom of action within the security environment for terrorist organizations, making it more advantageous for terrorist organizations to use women to support or execute terrorist activities. In countries where terrorism originates and extremist organizations find safe haven and freedom of movement, the social environment can also play a significant role in leading women towards supporting terrorism. Discriminatory religious and social customs Rt Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, MP in these same countries leave women as a largely Women as victims of terrorism Chairperson of the untapped resource in supporting the ideological If there has been one common strand shared by Commonwealth Women the extremist movements that have captured the Parliamentarians and Speaker causes of terrorist organizations. Female terrorist acts can also generate much world’s attention in the last year, from northern of the Parliament of Uganda greater media attention than those conducted by Nigeria to northern Iraq, Syria to Somalia, and males, further encouraging terrorist organizations Myanmar to Pakistan, it is that in each and every to expanding their recruiting of women. instance, the advance of extremist groups has Counterterrorism strategies tend to ignore gender as a relevant been coupled with vicious attacks on women’s and girls’ rights. factor and in doing so exclusively focus on male imposed threats. Terrible mass violations are mirrored in the accounts of the Although women taking part in terrorist and extremist acts is not new Nigerian girls who fled from Boko Haram; in the narratives of Somali and dates back many years, their presence in terrorist organizations women liberated from the rule of Al-Shabaab; and in descriptions of as both leaders and executors is increasing around the globe. life under the Islamist group Ansar Dine in northern Mali. In all these The increasing role of women in terrorist organizations in many scenarios, the bodies of women have been turned into ‘battlefields’ cases can be attributed to meeting a need or a shortage within the where rape is used as an instrument of humiliation, degradation and organization. Terrorist organizations are struggling with a shortage oppression. of available personnel with so many males being captured, killed or The identity and scene may change, but the common agenda and unwilling to support the cause. International cooperation in the global first order of business for these extremist groups is almost invariably war on terror has made it difficult for organizations to continue to fight to place limits on women’s access to education and health services, without access to the appropriate human and financial resources. restricting their participation in economic and political life and This is a pattern associated with terrorist organizations that enforcing the restrictions through terrifying violence. increases pressure on both women and men. In Iraq for example, These violations are the extreme end of a global wave of women were deployed to smuggle arms and execute suicide fundamentalist conservatism, but it is an agenda shared by bombings, during a clamp down on Al-Qaeda in the mid-2000s. The extremists of all religions, whose efforts seem invariably to focus on perpetrators usually capitalize on the women’s superior ability to the suppression of women’s autonomy and a return to delineated, evade security checks, cache weapons in clothing and attract less outdated gender roles. In the last couple of years, over 1,000 terrorist suspicion as suicide bombers. attacks occurred worldwide, resulting in more than 17,800 deaths The tactical use of women due to lesser suspicion has also been and more than 32,500 injuries. In addition, more than 2,990 people evident in Islamist violence in Pakistan and Indonesia; and within the were kidnapped or taken hostage, with the majority being women. Our dear readers, welcome yet again to another issue of The Parliamentarian. It is always an honor for us as the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and for me personally as the Chairperson to contribute to this Journal. This time, I feel a sense of responsibility to touch on an issue which is a major threat globally to the entire mankind – the issue of global terrorism. Recent times have showed that women are very much at the centre of this real threat in different capacities; as victims, as accomplices and as fighters against terrorism.
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conflict in Israel and Palestine. Increasingly, organizations abduct and forcefully recruit both males and females during childhood to train and manipulate them at an early age to support the cause. Women as fighters against terrorism Whereas it is factual that women have been the victims, and in some instances real accomplices, it is also increasingly evident that women are a formidable force as fighters against terrorism be it as investigators, prosecutors, counsellors, peace makers and as managers of defence and security. I would like to take the opportunity to salute those brave women who have stood up and resisted terrorists especially those who are in the armed forces all over the world. A number of organizations worldwide such as Women Without Borders and PAIMAN Alumni Trust are utilizing the strategic role of mothers and matriarchs to build early warning systems when they suspect their husbands, sons or daughters may be involved with extremist groups. While this is important, the International community must also prioritize women’s participation, leadership and empowerment in prevention and response frameworks. This is a critical factor to address the structural inequalities underpinning extremist violence and to ensure that when the capacity of one extremist group is destroyed, another will not rise up to take its place. The way forward is clear. The International community must take up the challenge to combine militarized action with governance, human rights and development — including women’s empowerment
and gender equality. Drones, airstrikes and boots on the ground can halt the advance of extremist groups but these tools cannot defeat radical ideologies nor build resilient families and communities. It is also incumbent for governments to establish structures that will support women and girls in post-war and post-trauma management. It is the psychological and social areas that are often forgotten by policy makers. Empowered women are the best drivers of growth and the best hope for reconciliation. They are the best buffer against the radicalization of youth and the repetition of cycles of violence. Women and girls are the first targets of attack — the promotion of their rights must be the first priority in response.
“Empowered women are the best drivers of growth and the best hope for reconciliation. They are the best buffer against the radicalization of youth and the repetition of cycles of violence. Women and girls are the first targets of attack — the promotion of their rights must be the first priority in response.”
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