Invisible Women: Gendered Dimensions of Return, Rehabilitation and Reintegration from Violent Extremism

These are the findings of the joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) report - ‘Invisible Women: Gendered Dimensions of Return, Reintegration, and Rehabilitation’.

The report underscores the need for consistent policies or laws pertaining to the treatment of returnees associated with terrorist and violent extremist groups—especially in the case of women and children, which most countries lack. There is an even wider chasm between on-the-ground realities and global policies, where the fate of women and children is concerned.

The ratio of women to men returning to their countries of origin varies significantly by country—and in many cases women are not returning because they are unable to attain citizenship status and custody of children born during their time in Syria, Iraq, or elsewhere. The returning women and children have distinct psychosocial, economic and health needs. Many of the women are widows and must fight stigma even as they become breadwinners for the first time. Programming must help them earn livelihoods, which can prevent them from being pressured into joining or rejoining extremist groups.