With:
Alexandra Bradford (tbc)
Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck
Jayne Huckerby
Alexandra Bradford has an MA in Terrorism, Security and Society from Kings College London and a BA in Political Science and History from Goldsmiths, University of London. Her main area of study focuses on ‘homegrown’ Islamist extremism and female radicalisation. She currently holds a position on the London board of Walking With the Wounded and is a contributor to Women for Women International.
Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck holds a Phd in Political science and is a research analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. She is an expert on extremist violence, massacres, and terrorism, with a focus on Islamism and jihadism in Algeria.
Jayne Huckerby, an associate clinical professor of law and the director of the International Human Rights Clinic at the Duke University School of Law, advises regional and international institutions on gender, human rights, and CVE and is a co-editor of “Gender, National Security and Counter-Terrorism: Human Rights Perspectives.”
Moderation Viola Raheb, University of Vienna
In the last year or so, the issue of the “Islamic State” (IS) and its foreign fighters has been at the centre of interest in Europe. Several ministries, GO's and NGO's are working on issues of encountering recruitment, radicalisation, and involvement of young people. The image of those endangered is mostly young men. Yet, some studies have shown that there are women joining IS, who are actively involved in spreading IS propaganda, recruiting young people and also fighting on the side of IS. Some experts estimate that up to 10 per cent of the foreign fighters among IS are women. Women are thus not only victims of IS but also perpetrators. Early 2014 IS established female brigades among which are Al-Khansaa and Umm al-Rayan brigades. Who are these women? What religious, ideological, political and personal motivations stand behind their involvement with IS? What similarities can be drawn to women joining other radical groups? Are there differences, between those women joining IS from Western countries and those from Arab or Islamic countries? Which strategies are needed to counter radicalisation among women?
What are the reasons for their involvement in IS?