Human Security Centre Human Rights and International Security Research
Around 10 percent of foreigners who have traveled from abroad to join the Islamic State (IS) are women and girls, according to a new report that sheds light on the terror group’s increased efforts to recruit women into its ranks.
IS (also known as ISIL or ISIS) has launched a “considerable recruitment push” focused on women and girls in recent months, according to a comprehensive new report issued Monday by the London-based Human Security Centre (HSC).
Julie Lenarz, the executive director of HSC, said, “Foreign recruitment is a serious problem which requires careful evaluation and prevention mechanisms. It is something that is perceived as a man’s trade, when in fact an increasing number of female recruits make their way to Syria. They join ISIS’ al-Khansaa brigade (all female shari’a police), support their husbands fighting for ISIS or go to Syria to marry a jihadi. The bottom line is that radicalised women and girls pose no lesser a threat because of their gender.”
“The continuous news stream of women making the journey to the Turkey-Syria border demonstrates that it is not only Turkey’s issue, but an international need to strengthen the counter narrative and coordinated intelligence targeting women and girls,” said Emily Daglish, a researcher at HSC.
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