Gender stereotyped or gender responsive? Hidden threats and missed opportunities to prevent and counter violent extremism in Indonesia and Bangladesh.

This article analyses policies and programmes to prevent and counter violent extremism in Indonesia and Bangladesh, and whether they are gender responsive. Even where the aim is to be gender sensitive, existing policies and programmes may reinforce gender stereotypes and are ineffective in preventing and countering threats. Government and non-government policies and programmes in both countries must be attentive to the gender dynamics of violent extremism, including gender-specific drivers of recruitment, gender discrimination and gender-based violence.