This report reviews research on PCVE interventions that explicitly focus on women. It is organized by the three tiers of interventions commonly used to describe PCVE work: primary interventions which work at the community level to prevent involvement in extremism; secondary interventions that engage with those identified as being at risk of involvement; and tertiary interventions designed for those convicted of terrorism offences or believed to be directly engaged in violent extremism. It determines that efforts to encourage women’s economic empowerment in the context of PCVE would benefit from acknowledging the social barriers to participation. It recommends that increasing women’s trust and confidence in institutions and statutory bodies is vital to successful PCVE. It highlights that different violent extremist organizations and ideologies often reflect specific types of gender norms that need to be considered in intervention work, as these can influence women’s motivation to engage in extremism, and the barriers to reintegration.
2021