On 30 March 2017, the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) received a joint briefing from its Executive Directorate (CTED) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, or UN Women. The briefing focused on efforts to advance the implementation of Security Council resolution 2242 (2015) in the context of the Committee’s work on counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism, especially as it pertains to the roles of women.
The complex dynamic of the contemporary threat “underscores that we cannot cast women in any one role – they are perpetrators, supporters, victims,” said Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) of UN Women, in her briefing to the Committee.
To advance a solid basis for programming and advocacy, UN Women’s Global Programme on Preventing Violent Extremism focuses on (1) research; (2) policy development; (3) humanitarian engagement; and (4) promoting women’s participation. UN Women has 27 ongoing or planned projects on the prevention of violent extremism and has been strengthening key partnerships, within the UN and in the field, with civil society and women’s networks.
ASG Puri highlighted that Security Council resolution 2242 (2015) expanded the toolkit for addressing terrorism, as it emphasized the need for gender-sensitive research to understand the drivers of radicalization of women. She also praised the ever-closer cooperation between UN Women and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), including in efforts to integrate a gender dimension into country-specific assessments, analytical reports and recommendations for technical assistance.
Following the adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2242 (2015), CTED has increased its focus on the gender dimension of its activities in the context of counter-terrorism, from prevention to interdiction and response, through to rehabilitation and reintegration. As part of its focus on identifying emerging trends, CTED offered a presentation to the Committee of the various and evolving roles of women in terrorism and counter-terrorism, including as perpetrators, inciters, supporters, and preventers. The issue of women as victims disproportionately affected by sexual violence used as a deliberate tactic of terrorism was also addressed.
“CTED has taken the gender dimension into consideration in assessing the implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005), and 2178 (2014), and in identifying good practices and technical assistance needs. As part of our efforts to encourage Member States to develop national comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism strategies, CTED identifies related good practices in our country visits and consultations with relevant United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations and entities,” the CTED briefing elaborated.