Huffington Post
06 July 2017
To Fight Radicalization In Southeast Asia, Empower The Women
Women have always been a quiet force to be reckoned with in uprisings worldwide. But, until recently, most studies focused on their roles as suicide bombers and combatants.
Terrorism research is now seeing a notable shift, with analysis examining the role women play as possible instigators of violence: mothers and mother-figures who are raising the next generation of soldiers.
In Southeast Asia, for example, over the past year, there has been a rise in the number of stories of women involved in planning acts of terror and declaring support for extreme religious beliefs.
And ISIS is known to actively indoctrinate women in order to nurture young holy warriors.
Networks of women who pledge allegiance to the cause – whether ISIS’ or other extremist ideology – can exchange radical ideas among themselves and inculcate their children through a sustained domestic radicalisation strategy.
To reduce the likelihood that radical thought will be spread in Southeast Asia, empower the mothers. Providing socioeconomic support where it is most needed – among women – is the best insurance against future terrorism, ensuring that mothers and families remain vectors for positive action and tolerant beliefs, not hotbeds of distress and discontent.
… Serina Abdul Rahman, Visiting Fellow (Malaysia Programme/ Regional Economic Studies), National University of Singapore and Christopher H Lim, Senior Fellow in Science, Technology & Economics at RSIS, Nanyang Technological University
RSIS / Online / Print
Last updated on 11/07/2017
