Helpdesk Report Gender and countering violent extremism (CVE) in the Kenya- Mozambique region Iffat Idris GSDRC, University of Birmingham 19 October 2020 Question What is the evidence on: • The diverse roles that women/girls can play in the context of violent extremism and the contributions that women/girls can make in countering violent extremism (differentiating between combatants, ex-combatants and non-combatant returnees) • Current approaches to gender and CVE • Potential entry points for programming on gender and CVE. The geographic focus is on north-east Kenya, north-east Mozambique and the Mozambique- Tanzania cross-border region. Contents 1. Summary 2. Women and violent extremism 3. Women and countering violent extremism (CVE) 4. Kenya 5. Mozambique (-Tanzania) 6. Policy guidance and recommendations 7. References The K4D helpdesk service provides brief summaries of current research, evidence, and lessons learned. Helpdesk reports are not rigorous or systematic reviews; they are intended to provide an introduction to the most important evidence related to a research question. They draw on a rapid desk- based review of published literature and consultation with subject specialists. Helpdesk reports are commissioned by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and other Government departments, but the views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of FCDO, the UK Government, K4D or any other contributing organisation. For further information, please contact
[email protected]. 1. Summary Women can play a range of very diverse roles in relation to violent extremism (VE), and can also make important contributions to efforts to counter violent extremism (CVE). Kenya, one of the countries in which Al-Shabaab is active, illustrates this diversity: women are involved in the group as wives/victims, in supporting roles such as intelligence-gathering and recruitment, and as perpetrators of violence.