Gender and Political Violence
Gender and Exclusionary Buddhist Protectionism in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar (2022 - 2024)
Investigators: Jacqui True, Helen Stenger, Alexandra Phelan, Duanghathai Buranajaroenkij, Prakirati Satasut, Hashitha Abeywardana, Ashika Gunasena, and Vindhya Fernando
Research Partners: FHI 360, Mahidol University and Chrysalis
Funding Partner: This study is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Networks for Peace program.
The research project investigates the gender dimensions of exclusionary Buddhist protectionism in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Exclusionary Buddhist protectionism refers to movements or groups that support discrimination and/or violence against perceived “enemies” of the faith and similarly-supported authoritarian governments as a mechanism to protect the Buddhist nation. We are keen to understand how social constructions of gender identities, gender symbolism and gender relations in communities may reinforce or challenge exclusionary Buddhist protectionism. This knowledge is really important for identifying ways to support and promote sustainable peace in all three countries.
Misogyny, hostile beliefs and the transmission of extremism: a comparison of the far-right in the UK and Australia (2021 - 2022)
Investigators: Alexandra Phelan, Jacqui True, James Patterson
Funding partner: Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats
Research partners: Royal United Services Institute
Synopsis:
This project examines the role of online channels in amplifying gender ideology and misogyny across transnational networks. Comparing the current threat of far-right extremism in the UK and Australia, this project seeks to examine the role of online channels in amplifying gender ideology and misogyny across transnational networks on three levels:
- misogynistic views and hostile/sexist beliefs held and espoused at the individual level
- in-group dynamics, with particularly focus on how women and men are positioned within the group itself and their roles
- the general politicised ideologies that frame both the beliefs and roles, offering a “sense of meaning” that shapes participation.
This project will also examine the intersection points of how these dynamics manifest in the offline space, with specific concern as to whether there are offline sites that reinforce gender identity and ideology which in turn justify both violence and hostile beliefs.
Gender Analysis of Violent Extremism and the Impact of COVID-19 on Peace and Security in ASEAN: Evidence-based Research for Policy Responses (2021)
Investigators: Alexandra Phelan, Jacqui True, Irine Gayatri, Amporn Marddent, Janine Gamao and Yolanda Riveros Morales.
Funding Partner: UN Women
Synopsis:
The project builds on the long-standing partnership between GPS and UN Women. The GPS team will partner with other ASEAN country experts in Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines to examine the key changing trends and dynamics of violent extremism in the context of COVID-19, including recruitment, propaganda, and/or spread of misinformation and disinformation to fuel misogynist and hostile beliefs to justify and legitimise violence against women in the ASEAN region. This will build knowledge and evidence to inform the implementation of gender-responsive prevention of violent extremism strategies, and support ongoing regional efforts and collaboration in ASEAN countries, addressing a variety of cross-border challenges from pandemic response to rising intolerance and extremism.
Full report (English) | Executive summary (English) | Full report (Bahasa Indonesia) | Executive summary (Bahasa Indonesia) |
Gender Constructs and Role Adoption in Violent Extremism (2019)
Investigators: Jacqui True and Alexandra Phelan
Funding Partner: Victorian Government
Synopsis:
This project examines how constructs of masculinity and femininity facilitate or challenge role adoption in far-right, far-left and radical Islamist violent extremism. It examines the interplay of gender identity, socio-economic status, and ideological beliefs in determining individual radicalisation pathways.
Motivations for women and men to join violent extremist groups may be similar, but men and women participate in violent extremism differently and pathways in radicalisation are distinct. Extremist groups explicitly tailor their recruitment strategies to address these distinct motivations of women and men. A gendered understanding of ideological and material motivations is thus crucial to effectively counter and prevent violent extremism (see True et al 2019). Women play multiple roles in violent extremism, as sympathisers, mobilisers, logistical managers, preventers, and perpetrators.
Existing research examines how these roles differ amongst far-left, far-right and radical Islamist ideological tendencies. However, it does not investigate or explain why violent extremist networks/organisations target men and women with gender-specific online messaging and recruitment strategies. The research addresses this knowledge gap by investigating how gender influences role adoption in far-right, far-left and radical Islamist networks, and how online gender-messaging challenges or reinforces these roles. The report investigates how gendered online messaging influences role adoption by 1) Mapping online content to produce a typology toolkit for intelligence/risk assessment; and 2) Researching the three target groups via content analysis, legal analysis and interviews.
Framework for a gendered analysis of countering violent extremism (CVE) policy and programs in Victoria (Framework) (2019)
Primary Chief Investigator: Jacqui True
Funding Partner: Department of Justice and Community Safety (Victoria)
Synopsis: This project will develop a framework supporting the application of a gendered analysis of countering violent extremism (CVE) policy and programs in Victoria (Framework).
The Framework will contribute to the increased effectiveness of policy and programs by:
- promoting gender sensitive practices in policies, program and service delivery
- facilitating an increased understanding of the experiences of women and men and their roles and relationships in relation to violent extremism
- ensuring Victorian Government staff who lead CVE policy and program development and delivery understand gender analysis and how to apply it and integrate it into their work.
Gender Equality and Violent Extremism: A Research Agenda (2017-2019)
Chief Investigators: Jacqui True, Eleanor Gordon, Melissa Johnson
Funding Partner: UN Women with funding from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Research Partner: Eirene Associates (Morocco)
Synopsis:
Monash Gender, Peace and Security Centre has won a competitive UN bid to establish a new research agenda in North Africa (Libya, Morocco and Tunisia) on the gendered dynamics of violent extremism in North Africa including gender analysis of extremist recruitment and mobilization, impacts of violent extremism and terrorism, and efforts to prevent and counter their threat in the region. Monash GPS will partner with Eirene Associates (Morocco), and together will build the research capacity of national research institutes/organisations in each of the countries in North Africa. The 18 month project will create an evidence base to inform effective, gender-sensitive P/CVE policy and programming.
The Sexism and Violence Nexus | Academic Paper (UN Women): Gender Equality and VE: A Research Agenda for Libya |
A Gender Sensitive Approach to Preventing Violent Extremism in Asia and the Pacific (2018-2019)
Chief Investigators: Jacqui True, Eleanor Gordon, Katrina Lee-Koo, Kerry O'Brien, Muhammad Iqbal, Melissa Johnston and Yasmin Chilmeran
Partner Investigators: Centre for Law, Gender and Society, Gadjah Mada University, Oxfam Bangladesh, GZO Peace Institute (GZOPI), Ateneo University, Manila, the Philippines
Funding Partner: UN Women
Synopsis:
The research project will analyse the role that women, as well as men, can and do play in promoting or preventing violent extremism in three countries: Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The research will also investigate how notions of masculinity and femininity are used by violent extremist groups to radicalise and recruit men and women in these countries.
Read more on Preventing Violent Extremism.
"The Impact of Gender Identities, Norms and Relations on Violent Extremism Animation"
Online Publications:
Research Dialogue | Gender and P/CVE: the role of civil society organisations (2018)
Investigator: Jacqui True
Funding Partner: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Synopsis:
This project is a collaboration between Deakin University and Monash University’s Gender, Peace and Security Centre to facilitate a two-day Research Dialogue conducted during the Global Counter-terrorism Forum (GCTF) Countering Violent Extremism Working Group Plenary and Workshop on Gender and P/CVE: the role of civil society organisations.
Online Publications:
A Gender Sensitive Approach to Preventing Violent Extremism in Asia and the Pacific (2017-2018)
Primary Chief Investigator: Jacqui True
Chief Investigators: Kerry O'Brien & Eleanor Gordon
Partner Investigators: Sri Eddyono (Gadjah Mada University) & Oxfam Bangladesh
Funding Partner: UN Women
Synopsis:
An innovative research project that draws from UN Women existing programming and utilises participatory and community action research methods to explore the area of gender and preventing violent extremism in Indonesia and Bangladesh as well as examining some of the broader regional trends. The research will seek to provide a broader evidence base on the gendered dimensions of preventing and countering violence extremism through the creation of a research report and specific knowledge products, and also inform the future programming of UN Women and other stakeholders.
The research will look at varying dimensions of gender and preventing violent extremism as well as provide an in-depth analysis of the dimensions of intersectionality, such as age, religiosity and socio-economic status, and examine any potential or inferred association with rates of VAW or GBV and higher indexes of gender inequality. A comparative approach will be used – comparing the different contexts in terms of their community processes, gender dynamics and outcomes so we can isolate the gendered differences in the nature of support and participation and the proximate push and pull factors as well as the factors that are most associated with lessening the influence of fundamentalist ideologies and countering their spread.
Online Publications:
- E. Gordon & J. True. 'Gender Stereotyped or Gender Responsive? Hidden Threats and Missed Opportunities to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism in Indonesia and Bangladesh.' The RUSI Journal 164, 4 (2019): 74-91.
- 'UN Women and Monash GPS launch research on gender and preventing violent extremism' (video), UN Women, June 2018.
- 'How women can build a safer world.' Monash Lens, March 2018.
- 'Setting the Scene For Preventing Violent Extremism in South East and South Asia: A Way Forward for Women's Engagement in Indonesia and Bangladesh.' UN Women Policy Brief, March 2018.
- 'Empowered Women, Peaceful Communities.' UN Women Programme Brief, March 2018.
- 'The future of terrorism.' Monash's A Different Lens documentary series: Episode 3, November 2017.
Academic Paper: Building An Evidence Base | Research Brief: Empowering Women for Peaceful Communities |
Preventing Conflict and Countering Violent Extremism through Women’s Empowerment and Civil Society Mobilisation in Indonesia (2016-2017)
Investigators: Jacqui True, Swati Parashar & Sri Eddyono
Research team: Dini Anitasari (researcher), Enik Maslaha (research assistant, Yogyakarta site only), Salma Masri (research assistant, Poso site only) and Yurra Maurice (research assistant, Jakarta site only).
Funding Partner: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Synopsis:
This research project examines women’s perspectives as family members, as teachers, and as members of civil society and community organisations in three community sites in Indonesia that have experiences with fundamentalist ideologies and political violence.
Online Publications:
Final Report: PVE: Gender Perspectives & Women's Roles | Policy Brief: PVE: Gender Perspectives & Women's Roles, J. True & S. Eddyono, 2017 | Guidance Note: Building Government-CSO Partnerships |